12.2.3 pretérito perfeito composto do conjuntivo

As it has already been said the conjuntivo do pretérito perfeito composto, the compound tense formed with the presente do conjuntivo of the auxiliary verb ter and the past participle is used in the same context as it is used in any other roman language. It is used, in the case that the main clause requires the use of the subjunctive, for an action, event, process that happened in the immediate present and has an impact on this present.

It is crucial to anderstand that, because it is strange, see siehe 11.2. The INDICATIVO of the pretérito perfeito composto is used if an action is regularly performed until the present of the speaker. It corresponds to the present perfect continuous in English. The CONJUNTIVO of the preterito perfeito composto is used when an action of the past has an impact on the present. (And, obviously, the main clause requires the conjuntivo.) The aspect taken into account by the two moods of the same time is therefore different. To keep it short and simple. Concerning the CONJUNTIVO of the pretérito perfeito composto there is no difference between Portuguese and other roman languages.

The pretérito perfeito composto do conjuntivo is used for an action that hypothetically started in the past and has an, hypothetical, impact on the present.

pretérito perfeito composto do conjuntivo for actions that started hypothetical in the past and are hypothetically still relevant for the present
He hopes that he has already arrived.
Espera que já tenha chegado.

He hopes that someone has arrived in the immediate past and if this is the case, the action has an impact on the the present of the speaker, because in this case the person is there. That can mean as well that the omissino of an action leads to a result that lasts until the moment the action, event or process is imagined by someone. (We will see in chapter 14 that concerning the sequence of tenses it doesn't make any difference whether an action is imagined by someone or if someone tells this action to someone else. The term indirect speech actually makes sense only in languages where there is a difference, for instance german. As far as roman languages are concerned the concept is confusing.)

The omission of an action lasts until the present of the speaker and has an impact on this present
Isto elimina qualquer possibilidade de um trabalho regular, enquanto não tenha sido concluido o processo de reconhecimento da cidadania.
This makes any taking up a regular job impossible, as long as the naturalization process is not accomplished.

In this case we have the omission of an action that lasts until the present and has an impact on this present.

The term perfect, used in german, English and Portuguese but not in Spanish, French and Italian is actually missleading. The term suggests that the relevant aspect it the question whether the action is perfect, in other words accomplished. That is completely irrelevant. An action of the past, I wrote a letter, can be perfecly accomplished, but that is not the point. The point is, whether this action has an impact on the present. (And in general an action of the past is very often accomplished.) The relevant question is whether there is subjectively, this is the case if someone is in the same period of time in which happens the actions told or imagined, or objectivly, this is the case if there is a relationship between an action of the immediate past and the present, an impact on the present.

The preterito perfeito composto is formed with the presente do conjuntivo of the the verb ter and the past participle.

pretérito perfeito composto do conjuntivoterparticípio perfeito
eu tenha
tido (had)
feito (done)
consertado (repaired)
arrumado (cleaned)
poupado (saved)
ganhado (earned)
apanhado (harvested)

tu tenhas
ele / ela
você
o senhor / a senhora
tenha
nóstenhamos
eles / elas
vocês
o senhores / as senhoras
tenham



Espero que o tinha feito já.
I hope he has already done it.
Espero que o tenha arrumado.
I hope he had already cleared it up.
Espera que tenham consertado o carro.
He hopes that they have repaired the car.
Esperamos que tenham poupado bastante.
I hope that they have saved enough.


If we put aside conditional clauses, where the pretérito perfeito composto do conjuntivo never can be used, it is used in the same context as any other tense in subjunctive mood. The pretérito perfeito do conjuntivo is used if the actions happened, hypothetically, before the moment they have been imagined and last until the moment where they are imagined or have an impact on the moment where they are imagined. (see introduction 12 conjuntivo.)

1) after verbs like advise, consent, wish, hope etc. that describe a subjective attitude towards the world , because hypothetical facts are evaluated subjectively
Não acredito que tenha faltado vontade.
Not believe that has missed will.
I don't think that good will has been missing.
Quero que tenha um pouco mais de paciência.
Want that have a little bit more of patience.
I want you to be more patient.
Temo que o tenham mandado tomar cerveja com os anjos.
Fear that him have sent take beer with the angels.
I am afraid they send ihm to have a beer with the angels.
(=> I am afraid he is dead.)
2) in relative clauses if the relative clause describes a wish
Quero um carro que tenha sido mantido corretamente.
Want a car that has been maintained correctly.
I want a car that has been taken care of correctly.
3) in relative clauses if the relative clause describes something unknown
Nunca vi aqui alguém que tenha consertado isso.
Never saw here anybody that has repared that.
I never have seen anybody here who has repaired this.
4) after conjunction that describes an intention or uncertainty
Peça desculpas, mesmo que tenha sido culpa dela.
Apologize pardon even if that has been fault hers.
You should apoligize even if it was her fault.
Aceitamos antes que tenha tempo de repensá-lo.
Accept befor that has time of rethinking-it.
We should accept that before he has the time to think again about it.
5) after adverbs, adverbials, idiomatic expressions that describes uncertainty
Talvez tenham feito as perguntas erradas.
Perhaps have made the questions wrong.
Perhaps they made the wrong questions.
É impossível que não tenha reparado nelas.
Is impossible that not has realised in these.
Hard to immagine that he didn't see them.
É provável que tenha problemas graves.
Is possible that has problems serious.
It is possible that he has serious problems.
6) after adverbs, adverbials, idiomatic expressions that describe a subjective evaluation
Estou feliz que tenha vindo me ver.
Am happy that has come me see.
I am happy that you have come to see me.
Estou tão triste, que tenhas tomado esta decisão.
Am so sad that have taken this desision.
I feel sad that you have taken this decision. .
7) after certain infefinite pronouns
Seja quem tenha feito isto, é um monstro.
Be who has done that is a monser.
Whoever has done that, he is a monster.






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