The imperative mood in Portuguese is an essential aspect of the language, especially if you want to give commands, make requests, or offer suggestions. This mood is used to express direct orders or instructions, and its correct usage can significantly enhance your communication skills in Portuguese. In this article, we will delve into the structure and usage of the imperative mood, helping you understand how to form and use it effectively.
Understanding the Imperative Mood
The imperative mood in Portuguese is used to:
1. Give commands or orders.
2. Make requests.
3. Offer suggestions or advice.
4. Give instructions.
Unlike the indicative and subjunctive moods, the imperative does not have all the usual personal forms. It is primarily used with the second person singular (tu) and plural (vós), as well as the first person plural (nós) and the third person singular and plural (você, vocês).
Affirmative and Negative Imperative
The imperative mood in Portuguese can be divided into two forms: affirmative and negative. The formation of these two types varies slightly, and it’s crucial to understand both to use the imperative mood correctly.
Affirmative Imperative:
The affirmative imperative is used to tell someone to do something. Here’s how you form it:
– For regular verbs ending in -ar, -er, and -ir, the imperative forms are derived from the present indicative and the present subjunctive.
For example:
– Falar (to speak): fala (tu), fale (você), falemos (nós), falai (vós), falem (vocês)
– Comer (to eat): come (tu), coma (você), comamos (nós), comei (vós), comam (vocês)
– Partir (to leave): parte (tu), parta (você), partamos (nós), parti (vós), partam (vocês)
Negative Imperative:
The negative imperative is used to tell someone not to do something. It is formed using the present subjunctive forms for all the personal pronouns.
For example:
– Falar (to speak): não fales (tu), não fale (você), não falemos (nós), não faleis (vós), não falem (vocês)
– Comer (to eat): não comas (tu), não coma (você), não comamos (nós), não comais (vós), não comam (vocês)
– Partir (to leave): não partas (tu), não parta (você), não partamos (nós), não partais (vós), não partam (vocês)
Forming the Imperative Mood
Let’s look at the steps to form the imperative mood for regular and irregular verbs.
Regular Verbs
Affirmative Imperative:
1. For the second person singular (tu), use the third person singular of the present indicative form.
2. For other forms (você, nós, vós, vocês), use the corresponding present subjunctive forms.
Negative Imperative:
1. For all forms (tu, você, nós, vós, vocês), use the corresponding present subjunctive forms preceded by “não.”
For example, with the verb “falar” (to speak):
– Affirmative: fala (tu), fale (você), falemos (nós), falai (vós), falem (vocês)
– Negative: não fales (tu), não fale (você), não falemos (nós), não faleis (vós), não falem (vocês)
Irregular Verbs
Irregular verbs do not follow the standard rules of conjugation, so their imperative forms must be memorized. Here are a few examples:
– Ser (to be): sê (tu), seja (você), sejamos (nós), sede (vós), sejam (vocês)
– Ir (to go): vai (tu), vá (você), vamos (nós), ide (vós), vão (vocês)
– Ter (to have): tem (tu), tenha (você), tenhamos (nós), tende (vós), tenham (vocês)
For the negative imperative, remember to use the present subjunctive forms:
– Ser: não sejas (tu), não seja (você), não sejamos (nós), não sejais (vós), não sejam (vocês)
– Ir: não vás (tu), não vá (você), não vamos (nós), não vades (vós), não vão (vocês)
– Ter: não tenhas (tu), não tenha (você), não tenhamos (nós), não tenhais (vós), não tenham (vocês)
Usage of the Imperative Mood
Understanding when and how to use the imperative mood is crucial for effective communication. Here are some practical applications:
Giving Commands
The imperative mood is often used to give direct orders or commands. This can be seen in everyday interactions, such as:
– “Fala mais devagar.” (Speak slower.)
– “Coma tudo.” (Eat everything.)
– “Partam agora.” (Leave now.)
Making Requests
The imperative can also be used to make polite requests, especially when using the forms for você and vocês:
– “Por favor, fale comigo.” (Please, speak with me.)
– “Coma um pouco mais.” (Eat a little more.)
– “Parta antes das seis.” (Leave before six.)
Offering Suggestions or Advice
When offering suggestions or advice, the imperative mood can be very effective:
– “Fale com o professor.” (Talk to the teacher.)
– “Coma frutas e vegetais.” (Eat fruits and vegetables.)
– “Partamos cedo para evitar o trânsito.” (Let’s leave early to avoid traffic.)
Giving Instructions
In instructional contexts, such as recipes or manuals, the imperative mood is frequently used:
– “Misture os ingredientes.” (Mix the ingredients.)
– “Corte as verduras.” (Cut the vegetables.)
– “Asse por 30 minutos.” (Bake for 30 minutes.)
Politeness and the Imperative Mood
In Portuguese, using the imperative mood can sometimes come across as too direct or even rude, depending on the context and the relationship between the speakers. To soften commands and make them more polite, you can use a few strategies:
1. Use the conditional mood or more polite forms of the imperative.
2. Add words or phrases that soften the command, such as “por favor” (please) or “se possível” (if possible).
3. Use the você form instead of tu when speaking to someone you don’t know well or in formal contexts.
For example:
– “Fale comigo.” (Speak with me.) can become “Poderia falar comigo, por favor?” (Could you speak with me, please?)
– “Coma tudo.” (Eat everything.) can become “Coma tudo, se possível.” (Eat everything, if possible.)
Common Mistakes and How to Avoid Them
When learning the imperative mood in Portuguese, it’s easy to make mistakes. Here are some common errors and tips on how to avoid them:
Using the Wrong Form
One of the most common mistakes is using the wrong form of the verb. Remember to distinguish between the affirmative and negative imperatives and use the correct conjugation for each pronoun.
For example:
– Incorrect: “Não fala.” (Don’t speak.)
– Correct: “Não fales.” (Don’t speak.)
Overusing the Imperative Mood
While the imperative mood is useful, overusing it can make you sound bossy or rude. Try to balance your commands with polite requests or suggestions, especially in more formal or unfamiliar contexts.
For example:
– Instead of saying “Fala agora!” (Speak now!), you could say “Você pode falar agora, por favor?” (Can you speak now, please?)
Forgetting to Use Politeness Markers
In Portuguese, politeness is important. Adding words like “por favor” (please) can make your commands sound more courteous.
For example:
– Instead of saying “Coma.” (Eat.), you could say “Coma, por favor.” (Eat, please.)
Practice Exercises
To solidify your understanding of the imperative mood, here are some practice exercises:
Exercise 1: Affirmative Imperative
Conjugate the following verbs in the affirmative imperative for the pronouns given:
1. (tu) falar
2. (você) comer
3. (nós) partir
4. (vós) escrever
5. (vocês) abrir
Exercise 2: Negative Imperative
Conjugate the following verbs in the negative imperative for the pronouns given:
1. (tu) falar
2. (você) comer
3. (nós) partir
4. (vós) escrever
5. (vocês) abrir
Exercise 3: Politeness Practice
Rewrite the following commands to make them more polite:
1. “Fala comigo.”
2. “Coma tudo.”
3. “Parta agora.”
4. “Escreve a carta.”
5. “Abre a porta.”
Conclusion
Mastering the imperative mood in Portuguese is essential for effective communication. Whether you are giving commands, making requests, offering suggestions, or giving instructions, understanding how to form and use the imperative mood correctly will enhance your language skills and help you communicate more naturally with native speakers. Practice regularly, pay attention to context and politeness, and soon you’ll be using the imperative mood with confidence and ease.
