Imperative: Tu / Você / Vocês in EP
European Portuguese has distinct imperative forms for tu (informal singular) and você/vocês (formal). The você imperative borrows the present conjunctive form, and clitic placement follows strict EP enclisis rules.
PortuStories Editorial
European Portuguese Grammar Guide
The affirmative tu imperative is the present indicative tu form minus the final -s.
| Infinitive | Tu present | Tu imperative |
|---|---|---|
| falar | falas | fala! |
| comer | comes | come! |
| partir | partes | parte! |
| fazer | fazes | faz! |
| ser | és | sê! |
| ter | tens | tem! |
| vir | vens | vem! |
The você/vocês imperatives and ALL negative imperatives use the present conjunctive forms.
Fala mais devagar, por favor!
Speak more slowly, please!
Tu affirmative imperative.
Fale mais devagar, se faz favor.
Speak more slowly, please.
Você formal imperative (conjunctive form).
Não fales tão alto!
Don't speak so loudly!
Negative tu imperative = present conjunctive.
🇵🇹 European Portuguese
Senta-te. (enclisis: pronoun after verb)
🇧🇷 Brazilian Portuguese
Se senta. (BP often uses proclisis with the imperative)
EP always uses enclisis with the affirmative imperative.
In EP the pronoun always follows the affirmative imperative: Faz-me um favor. Diz-me a verdade. A sentence in EP can never begin with a clitic.
From a PortuStories Story
A mãe disse ao filho: "Come a sopa e não fales com a boca cheia!"
The mother said to her son: "Eat your soup and don't talk with your mouth full!"