falemos/comamos/partamos

Imperativo Com Nós

Level 3

The Imperativo com Nós is the formal equivalent of the English 'let's'. While everyday speech uses vamos + infinitive, this form is used for solemn, literary, or oratorical contexts.

How It Works

The Imperativo com Nós is a collective command or suggestion that includes the speaker.

1. Formation:
It is identical to the 1st person plural (nós) of the Present Subjunctive:

  • -ar verbs: falemos
  • -er verbs: comamos
  • -ir verbs: partamos

2. Register and Usage:
In modern Portuguese, this form is considered formal or literary. You will encounter it in speeches, legal texts, or formal writing. In daily conversation, Brazilians and Portuguese people almost exclusively use vamos + infinitive (e.g., Vamos comer).

3. Pronoun Attachment (Enclisis):
When adding pronouns to affirmative commands, a specific phonetic rule applies:

  • The final -s of the verb is dropped when attaching the reflexive pronoun -nos. Example: Sentemos + nos becomes Sentemo-nos.
  • The final -s is also dropped when attaching 3rd-person object pronouns (-o, -a, -os, -as), which then become -lo, -la, -los, -las. Example: Comamos + o becomes Comamo-lo.

4. Negative Commands:
In negative commands, the pronoun moves before the verb (proclisis), and the -s is not dropped. Example: Não nos sentemos.

Examples (5)

  1. Sejamos realistas: o projeto vai demorar.

    Let's be realistic: the project will take time.

    Word by Word: Let-be-we realistic: the project goes to-delay.

    Uses the subjunctive form of 'ser' (sejamos) to make a formal suggestion.

  2. Vejamos agora os dados do relatório.

    Let's look now at the report data.

    Word by Word: Let-see-we now the data of-the report.

    'Vejamos' is a common discourse marker used even in semi-formal settings to guide an audience.

  3. Sentemo-nos aqui para conversar.

    Let's sit here to talk.

    Word by Word: Let-sit-we-ourselves here for to-talk.

    Note how the final '-s' of 'sentemos' is dropped when the reflexive pronoun '-nos' is attached.

  4. Não percamos mais tempo com isso.

    Let's not waste any more time with this.

    Word by Word: Not let-lose-we more time with this.

    In the negative form, the verb remains in the subjunctive but follows the word 'não'.

  5. Comamo-lo antes que esfrie.

    Let's eat it before it gets cold.

    Word by Word: Let-eat-we-it before that it-cools.

    The '-s' is dropped and '-o' becomes '-lo' when attached to the verb 'comamos'.

Common Mistakes

  • Forgetting to drop the '-s' when attaching the reflexive pronoun '-nos'.

    Sentemos-nos aqui.
    Sentemo-nos aqui.

    When the verb ends in '-s' and is followed by '-nos', the first '-s' must be dropped for phonetic reasons.

  • Using the Present Indicative instead of the Subjunctive for a command.

    Falamos sobre isso agora!
    Falemos sobre isso agora!

    'Falamos' is a statement of fact (We speak); 'Falemos' is the command/suggestion (Let's speak).

Words in This Pattern

-emos-amos