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Do you know how to use the Imperative mood? It’s time to learn!
But first, what is a verb mood?
The verb mood indicates how the action takes place. There are three moods in Portuguese: the indicative, the subjunctive and the imperative.
The imperative mood
The imperative is used to indicate order, command, advice, request, invitation, suggestion or prohibition.
Before talking about the 8 uses of the imperative mood, let’s talk about some important details:
- Verbs in the imperative are never conjugated in the 1st person singular (I);
- We almost always use this mood to speak directly to someone, so we use the conjugation for the pronouns TU (you singular), VOCÊ (you singular) or VOCÊS (you plural);
- In the imperative mood, you can use the conjugation for the pronouns TU (you) or VOCÊ (you) interchangeably;
- In the imperative mood, the subject (pronoun or name) of the sentence is usually hidden.
Now, let’s see a list of 8 common uses of the imperative mood:
1) Ordem ou comando (Order or command)
Façam silêncio. (Be silent.)
Avise Maria que o irmão dela chegou. (Let Maria know her brother has arrived.)
2) Conselho ou sugestão (Advice or suggestion)
Tenha cuidado ao atravessar a rua. (Be careful crossing the street.)
Experimente o bolo de cenoura. Está delicioso! (Try the carrot cake. It’s delicious!)
3) Pedido de favor (Request a favor)
Abra as janelas, por favor. (Open the windows, please.)
Por favor, compre um sorvete para mim. (Please, buy me ice cream.)
4) Convite (Invitation)
Venha jantar conosco. (Come have dinner with us.)
Sinta-se à vontade para compartilhar este vídeo com seus amigos. (Feel free to share this video with your friends.)
5) Proibição (Prohibition)
Não dê comida aos animais selvagens. (Don’t feed wild animals.)
Não jogue lixo no chão. (Don’t litter.)
6) Propaganda e comerciais (Advertising and commercials)
Para boas fotos, use lentes Canon. (For good photos, use Canon lenses.)
Receba as principais notícias do dia por e-mail. Assine nossa revista digital. (Receive the main news of the day by email. Subscribe to our digital magazine.)
7) Placas e avisos (Signs and notices)
Não pise na grama. (Don’t step on the grass.)
Após o sinal, deixe a sua mensagem. (After the tone, leave your message.)
8) Instruções de receitas (Recipe instructions)
Lave e corte os legumes. (Wash and cut the vegetables.)
Adicione sal e pimenta a gosto. (Add salt and pepper to taste.)
That’s it, everybody! Now you know how to use the imperative mood.
Now it’s homework time! Write a comment below using the imperative mood.
Até a próxima!
Your teacher,
Virginia
