fale/coma/parta

Imperativo Com Você

Level 3

The 'você' imperative is the standard way to give orders or suggestions in neutral or formal Portuguese. It is identical to the 3rd person singular of the present subjunctive, and its plural form 'vocês' simply adds an '-m'.

How It Works

The Imperativo com Você is a vital tool for daily communication, used for everything from recipes to professional requests.

1. Formation:
This form is borrowed directly from the present subjunctive.

  • Singular (Você): Change the ending to -e for -AR verbs (fale) and -a for -ER/-IR verbs (coma, parta).
  • Plural (Vocês): Simply add an -m to the singular form (falem, comam, partam).
  • Negation: Unlike the 'tu' form, the negative imperative for 'você' is identical to the affirmative. Just add não: Não fale, Não coma.

2. Spelling Changes:
To maintain the original sound of the infinitive, some verbs require orthographic shifts:

  • -car → -que: ficar → fique
  • -gar → -gue: chegar → chegue
  • -çar → -ce: começar → comece

3. Irregular Verbs:
If a verb is irregular in the first person singular of the present indicative (the 'eu' form), it usually keeps that stem in the imperative.

  • Fazer (eu faço) → Faça/Façam
  • Dizer (eu digo) → Diga/Digam
  • Pedir (eu peço) → Peça/Peçam

4. Special Irregulars:
Some verbs have unique stems: Ser (seja), Ir (vá), Estar (esteja), Saber (saiba), Dar (dê).

5. Object Pronouns:
Placement varies by region. In European Portuguese, pronouns follow the verb (Diga-me), while in Brazil, they often come before (Me diga).

6. Usage and Register:
In Brazil, this is the standard for polite commands, though in informal speech, people often mix in tu forms (e.g., Fala! instead of Fale!). In Portugal, the 'você' verb form is strictly formal. However, the pronoun 'você' itself is often considered too direct; speakers usually omit it or replace it with O senhor/A senhora while still using the 3rd person verb form.

Examples (5)

  1. Fale com o seu médico antes de começar.

    Speak with your doctor before starting.

    Word by Word: Speak with the your doctor before of to start.

    A standard instructional command using the verb 'falar'.

  2. Por favor, coma um pouco mais.

    Please, eat a little more.

    Word by Word: By favor, eat a little more.

    A polite social invitation using the verb 'comer'.

  3. Não pise na grama.

    Do not step on the grass.

    Word by Word: Not step on-the grass.

    A negative command commonly seen on public signs.

  4. Faça o seu trabalho com calma.

    Do your work calmly.

    Word by Word: Do the your work with calm.

    Uses the irregular stem 'faç-' from the verb 'fazer'.

  5. Vá direto para casa depois da aula.

    Go straight home after class.

    Word by Word: Go straight to home after of-the class.

    Uses the special irregular form 'vá' from the verb 'ir'.

Common Mistakes

  • Using the indicative 'você fala' instead of the imperative 'fale' for commands.

    Você fala comigo agora!
    Fale comigo agora!

    'Você fala' is a statement ('You speak'), whereas 'Fale' is the actual command ('Speak!').

  • Mixing 'você' commands with 'tu' pronouns.

    Fale comigo e te darei o livro.
    Fale comigo e lhe darei o livro.

    If you use the 'você' imperative (fale), you should use 'você' related pronouns like 'lhe' or 'seu' to remain consistent.

  • Forgetting the accent on irregular forms like 'vá' or 'dê'.

    Va embora agora.
    Vá embora agora.

    The accent is required on 'vá' (go) and 'dê' (give) to distinguish them from other words and ensure correct pronunciation.

How It Connects

Tap a pattern to see what it builds on and what it leads to.

fale/coma/partaLevel 3Imperativo Com Você

Learn This First

To form commands for 'você', you must first learn the present subjunctive, as the imperative forms for this pronoun are borrowed directly from that mood. You also need to understand the subject pronoun system to distinguish between formal and informal address.