Verbs: Subjunctive Past
Eu queria que…
When talking about unrealistic or past wishes, desires, and requests, use verbs like gostaria and pedir with que.
Eu gostaria que isto acontecesse.
I would like this to happen.
Eu queria que você me amasse.
I wish you loved me. (Literal: I would want for you to love me.)
You can also use verbs like pensei with que to talk about past impressions.
Eu pensei que você me amasse.
I thought that you loved me.
…que você me amasse!
After an expression that talks about past wishes, requests, desires, or impressions you need a verb in a special form called the subjunctive.
When the verb that comes before que is in the past, like in eu pensei que or eu queria que, you need to use the past subjunctive.
When the verb that comes before que is in the past, like in eu pensei que or eu queria que, you need to use the past subjunctive.
Eu queria que você o conhecesse.
I wanted you to know him.
To make the past subjunctive, start from an infinitive, like conhecer, then drop the ‑r, and add ‑sse or ‑ssem.
Ela pediu que ela tirasse os sapatos.
She asked her to take her shoes off.
Eu pedi que eles achassem o meu cachorro.
I asked them to find my dog.
Se eu fosse você!
Some verbs change a lot in the past subjunctive form. Here are the special forms of fazer, ser, trazer, and ter in the past subjunctive.
Eu pedi que ele não fizesse isso.
I asked him not to do that.
Eu pensei que você fosse um médico.
I thought you were a doctor.
E se ele não trouxesse a arma?
And what if he had not brought the gun?
Se eu tivesse um carro.
If I had a car.