Imperatives/commands (e.g.: Fale português!)

An Overview of Imperatives (Commands)

The imperative is used to give orders, instructions, or requests—that is, to tell someone directly what to do:

• Faz isso!

• Come os teus legumes!

• Vem aqui!

• Falem mais alto, por favor.

Since commands are directed at the listener, they use second-person forms (tu, você, vocês). Subject pronouns are usually omitted unless needed for emphasis

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How to Form the Imperative

In Portuguese, imperative forms are closely related to the present indicative and the present subjunctive.

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Affirmative commands

• tu → based on the present indicative (without -s)

  • falas → fala

  • comes → come

• você / vocês → based on the present subjunctive

  • fale / falem

  • coma / comam

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Negative commands

All negative commands use the present subjunctive:

• Não fales (tu).

• Não fale (você).

• Não falem (vocês).

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Irregular forms (tu, affirmative)

Some very common verbs are irregular:

• fazer → faz

• dizer → diz

• trazer → traz

• ir → vai

• ser → sê

• ter → tem

• vir → vem

• pôr → põe

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Nós (suggestions)

The imperative can also express suggestions (“let’s…”), using the subjunctive:

• Vamos sair.

• Façamos isso.

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Pronoun placement

• Affirmative commands → pronouns attach to the end

  • Diz-me a verdade.

  • Faz isso agora.

• Negative commands → pronouns come before the verb

  • Não me digas isso.

  • Não o faças.

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🔑 Key point

• Affirmative tu → present indicative (minus -s)

• All other forms + all negatives → present subjunctive