fala/come/parte
Imperativo Afirmativo (Tu)
The Imperativo Afirmativo (Tu) is the informal way to tell someone to do something. It is formed by taking the tu form of the present tense and dropping the final -s.
How It Works
The Imperativo Afirmativo (Tu) is used for direct communication with someone you are on familiar terms with (friends, family, children).
1. Formation Rules:
- -AR verbs: tu falas → fala (Speak!)
- -ER verbs: tu comes → come (Eat!)
- -IR verbs: tu partes → parte (Leave/Break!)
2. Irregularities and Short Forms:
Verbs ending in -zer or -zir often drop the final -e after removing the -s:
- dizer (tu dizes) → diz
- fazer (tu fazes) → faz
- trazer (tu trazes) → traz
- conduzir (tu conduzes) → conduz
Other common short forms include vai (from ir), põe (from pôr), tem (from ter), and vem (from vir).
3. The Exception:
The verb ser is completely irregular in this form: sê (Be!).
4. Regional Usage:
In Portugal, this is the standard informal command. In Brazil, while você commands are common, these tu forms (like fala, pega, vem) are extremely frequent in colloquial speech, even in regions that don't use the pronoun tu regularly.
Examples (5)
- Fala mais baixo, por favor.
Speak more quietly, please.
Word by Word: Speak more low, for favor.
Uses the imperative of 'falar' (falas - s = fala) for an informal request.
- Come a sopa toda!
Eat all the soup!
Word by Word: Eat the soup all!
Uses the imperative of 'comer' (comes - s = come) for a direct command.
- Faz o teu trabalho agora.
Do your work now.
Word by Word: Do the your work now.
Uses the irregular short form 'faz' from the verb 'fazer'.
- Sê paciente com o teu irmão.
Be patient with your brother.
Word by Word: Be patient with the your brother.
Uses 'sê', the irregular imperative form of the verb 'ser'.
- Diz a verdade, sempre.
Tell the truth, always.
Word by Word: Tell the truth, always.
Uses the short form 'diz' from the verb 'dizer'.
Common Mistakes
Using the affirmative form for negative commands.
Não fala agora!Não fales agora!Negative commands in Portuguese always use the subjunctive mood. The 'tu' affirmative (fala) cannot be used with 'não'.
Using 'é' instead of 'sê' for the verb 'ser'.
É bonzinho!Sê bonzinho!Learners often mistake the 3rd person indicative (é) for the imperative. For 'ser', the correct informal command is 'sê'.
Mixing 'tu' commands with 'você' pronouns (Mistura de Tratamento).
Diz-me o seu nome.Diz-me o teu nome.If you use a 'tu' command (Diz), you should use the corresponding 'tu' possessive (teu) to maintain consistency in register.
How It Connects
Learn This First
To form the informal 'tu' command, you must first be familiar with the regular present tense conjugation for 'tu' (ending in -s), as the command is simply that form with the -s removed. You also need to understand the social context of using 'tu' versus 'você'.
Related Patterns
- tu / vocêTu vs. Você
Understanding the choice between 'tu' and 'você' is essential for choosing the correct imperative form.
Level 1 - não fales/não comas/não partasImperativo Negativo (Tu)
This is the negative counterpart, which uses a different conjugation (subjunctive) instead of dropping the -s.
Level 3 - fale/coma/partaImperativo Com Você
The formal/standard alternative to the 'tu' imperative used in different social contexts.
Level 3 - teu/tua/teus/tuasPossessive Second Person Informal
These possessives are used alongside 'tu' imperatives to maintain a consistent informal register.
Level 1 - Enclisis (Pronoun After Verb)
In affirmative commands, pronouns are typically placed after the verb with a hyphen (e.g., 'Diz-me').
Level 2
Learn Next
Patterns that build on this one.
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