To express courtesy & wishes in Portuguese, it’s very common to use the Imperfect Past instead of the Conditional tense. It’s actually similar in English. We use “would” to express things we would do way back when. We also for “what you would do if” which is the conditional tense. And we ALSO use “would” for courteous polite requests and wishes: “I would like a coffee, please”/”I wish I could go there”
Past or wish?
How do you know if it’s a wish or a past tense? The defining factor is usually the type of verb, because a wish can be a past wish too (I used to want/prefer/etc). So verbs that express wishes, wants and desires like “gostar” (to like), “preferir” (to prefer), “querer” (to want) and “desejar” (to wish), for instance. Also, not to be confused with the conjuntivo’s sense of wish, which is a hypothetical wish. The pretérito imperfeito is a factual wish.
If it’s just a past imperfect tense then the context should help determine that. For example, the verbs used will not express wishes or preferences, etc. There will also be time expressions, either expressed or implicit, such as: “ontem” (yesterday), “na semana passada” (last week), “antigamente” (in the old days/before), etc.
Examples of expressing Courtesy and Wishes in Portuguese
Courtesy Examples
“queria um café se faz favor.” (I would like a coffee please)
Podia dizer-me que horas são se faz favor? (Could you tell me what time it is please?)
“Queria um café e Uma água sem gás fresca.” (I would like a coffee and a bottle of cold still water)
Wish examples
“Eu preferia ir ao cinema esta trade.” (I would prefer to go to the cinema this afternoon)
“Ontem o Rui e Marta queriam sair de casa mais cedo, mas não foi possível.“(Yesterday, Rui and Marta wanted to leave earlier, but it was not possible)
“Eu ia com vocês agora, mas tenho de trabalhar.” (I would go with you, but I have to work)
“Susana, eu gostava de sair contigo esta noite.” (Susana, I would like to go out with you)
“Pedro, nós gostávamos de falar com os teus pais.” (Pedro, we would like to speak to your parents)
“A minha filha adorava ir à Legolândia.” (My daughter would love to go to Legoland)
“Ela ia ficar muito contente com a tua chamada.” (She would be very happy with your call)
“Tenho tanto calor que apetecia uma cerveja fresca!” (I’m feel so hot that I feel like having a cold beer)
“O meu irmão queria ser astronauta.” (My brother would like to be an astronaut)
Watch this video for the pronunciation of the Courtesy & Wishes in Portuguese examples.
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Learn how to order your coffee or tea in Portuguese, using this tense. Click here to learn other courtesy expressions in Portuguese (premium post).