Portuguese could also use a present subjunctive to express most of the above ideas, just as Spanish does. Thus rephrased, the first several utterances would be:
É melhor que façamos isso agora.
É difícil que saiamos cedo.
É natural que falem inglês.
É possível que eu não venha.
There may or may not be a slight tendency to prefer the personal infinitive over the subjunctive in cases like these where there is a choice. To prepare yourself for any eventuality, we suggest that you learn to recognize and handle both patterns.
| Spanish (subjunctive) | Portuguese (personal infinitive) |
|---|---|
| 1. Yo pedí que ellos se quedaran. | Eu pedi para ficarem. |
| 2. Juan pide que ayudemos. | João pede para ajudarmos. |
| 3. Dígales a las niñas que pongan la mesa. | Diga para as meninas porem a mesa. |
| 4. Nos dijeron que saliéramos. | Êles nos disseram para sairmos. |
When the verb in the main clause is 'to tell' or 'to request', Spanish puts the verb in the other (subordinate) clause in the subjunctive. Portuguese is very likely to use the personal infinitive, although, once again, the subjunctive is common. (Eu pedi que êntes ficassem.), etc. As before, we suggest you learn both patterns.
Notice that para is used to link the two clauses.