Polite Requests with Imperfect Sub

This pattern usually involves two parts. First, you use a "softening" verb like gostaria (I would like) or queria (I wanted/would like). Then, you follow it with que and the Imperfect Subjunctive. By using the "past" version of the subjunctive, you create psychological distance. You aren't demanding something happen right now in reality. You are suggesting a world where it might happen. It’s like using a polite filter on your speech. It sounds more like a suggestion than an order. Even though the grammar looks like it’s in the past, the request is for the present or future. It's a bit of a time-travel trick that locals love. Using the present subjunctive que você faça is okay, but que você fizesse is the gold standard for politeness.

1. 1Learning these endings is actually easier than it looks. You just need to find one specific base form. Follow these steps to get it right every time:
2. 2Take the 3rd person plural (they) of the Pretérito Perfeito (Normal Past). For example, for falar, it is falaram. For fazer, it is fizeram.
3. 3Remove the -ram ending from the end. Now you have the "magic stem": fala- or fize-.
4. 4Add the following "sse" endings to that stem:
5. 5eu: -sse (falasse)
6. 6você/ele/ela: -sse (falasse)
7. 7nós: -ssemos (falássemos - Note the accent!)
8. 8vocês/eles/elas: -ssem (falassem)
9. 9Yes, the eu and você forms are identical. It makes your life much easier. Just remember that the nós form always needs a written accent on the vowel before the ending. It’s the law of the land!

Use this whenever you want to be a "Class A" communicator. It’s essential in professional emails when asking a colleague for a favor. If you are in a job interview, this is how you ask about benefits without sounding entitled. At a restaurant, use it to ask for a table change or a specific ingredient. "I would like you to bring more bread" sounds much better as Gostaria que você trouxesse mais pão. It’s also great for asking directions from a stranger on the street. Think of it like a grammar traffic light—it turns a red "stop and look at me" demand into a green "please help me" request. Use it when the stakes are high or when you just want to be a lovely human being.

Don't use this if you are hanging out with your best friend at a bar. If you say Gostaria que você me passasse a cerveja, they might think you’ve joined a secret society. It can sound stiff or overly formal in very casual settings. Also, avoid it when you need to be extremely direct, like in an emergency. If your house is on fire, don't say "I would like it if you called the fire department." Just yell "Fire!" and "Call 193!" Basically, if you are being too polite, you might sound sarcastic or distant. Use your judgment based on how close you are to the person. It's a tool for respect, not a wall to hide behind.

One big trap is forgetting to match the tenses. If you start with Gostaria (Conditional), you must use the Imperfect Subjunctive. Don't say ✗ Gostaria que você faz. That’s a grammar car crash. Another mistake is messing up the irregular stems. Remember, the stem comes from the "they" past form. If the past is trouxeram, the subjunctive is trouxesse. People often try to use the infinitive, like ✗ fizesse becoming ✗ fazesse. That sounds very wrong to a native ear. Also, watch that accent on the nós form! Fizéssemos needs that little hat to sound right. If you forget it, you're basically leaving the house without shoes. It's functional, but everyone will notice.

You might wonder: "Can't I just use the Present Subjunctive?" You can! Quero que você me ajude (I want you to help me) is perfectly correct. But it is very direct. It’s like a bright neon sign. Gostaria que você me ajudasse is like a soft candlelit dinner. One is a command; the other is a wish. You might also confuse this with the Future Subjunctive (se você fizer). But that is for conditions: "If you do this." Our pattern today is for the request itself. Think of the Present Subjunctive as "Level 1 Politeness" and the Imperfect Subjunctive as "Level 10 Politeness."