Think about how you might translate these phrases and see how close you came by highlighting the blacked-out text.  It can be hard to choose the correct cojugation at times.

  • (Advice) I would be careful about…
  • Eu teria cuidado com…
  • (Permission) Could I interest you in…?
  • Posso oferecer a você…?
  • (Possibility) Would you like to open a…?
  • Você gostaria de abrir uma…?
  • (Advice) I would encourage you to…
  • Eu aconselheria você a…
  • (Permission) Could you give me your…?
  • Você poderia me dar o seu…?
  • (Possibility) Would I be right in saying that…?
  • Eu estaria certo se dissesse que…?
  • (Permission) May I say something?
  • Posso dizer uma coisa?
  • (Wish) Wouldn’t it be nice if we could…?
  • Não seria bom se pudéssemos…?
  • (Possibility) Would you rather…?
  • Você prefere…?
  • (Permission) Would/Could you give us…?
  • Você pode nos dar…?
  • (Uncertainty)…if you’d like to talk to me further.
  • …se quiserem conversar mais comigo.
  • (Possiblity) Could you make it on Monday?
  • Pode ser na segunda?
  • (Wish) I should have gotten that.
  • Eu deveria ter pedido isso.
  • (Possibility) Could I get someone to fix it?
  • Será que tem alguém para concertá-lo?

The following examples help illustrate the differences between deveria, devia, podia, and poderia…

  • Eu deveria ter te perguntado.
  • I had the chance of asking, but I didn’t ask, and there’s no way of asking now.
  •  
  • Eu deveria estudar amanhã.
  • I should study tomorrow but I have to do something else instead.
  •  
  • Eu deveria sair da internet agora.
  • I should get off the internet now, but I won’t because I still have things to do here.
  •  
  • Eu devia ter perguntado antes, mas pergunto agora.
  • I could have asked before, but I’ll ask now.
  •  
  • Eu devia estudar amanhã.
  • Talvez eu estude.
  •  
  • Eu deveria estudar amanhã.
  • Não vou estudar.
  •  
  • Eu podia ter perguntado.
  • I could have asked, I’ll ask now.
  •  
  • Eu poderia ter perguntado.
  • I should have asked, but I didn’t.
  •  
  • Eu devia sair da internet agora.
  • Talvez eu saia.
  •  
  • Eu deveria sair da internet agora.
  • Não vou sair.

–Thanks Glinda!