A2 · Élémentaire Chapitre 50

Commands, Diminutives & Daily Expressions

6 Règles totales
1 min
Règles dans ce chapitre Pratique rapide

Chapter in 30 Seconds

Master the art of giving directions and expressing nuances in daily Portuguese life.

  • Formulate clear commands for requests and advice.
  • Add emotional depth using diminutives and augmentatives.
  • Refine your speech with essential adverbs.
Direct, descriptive, and distinctly Portuguese.

Ce que tu vas apprendre

Learn to give commands, use diminutives, and express yourself in daily situations.

Learning Objectives

By the end of this chapter, you will be able to:

  1. 1
    By the end you will be able to: Use the imperative mood to give basic instructions to friends and strangers.

Conseils et astuces (4)

💡

Don't overdo it

In formal writing, avoid diminutives.
frontend.learn_grammar.from_rule: Portuguese Diminutives: Making Things Cute (-inho/-inha)
💡

Vowel Swap

Remember: -AR verbs swap to 'e', others to 'a'.
frontend.learn_grammar.from_rule: Portuguese Imperative: Giving Commands with Regular Verbs (Fale! Coma! Abra!)
💡

Location Check

Always use 'ficar' for buildings and cities.
frontend.learn_grammar.from_rule: The Verb Ficar: Becoming, Staying & Locations
💡

Memorize the trio

Diga, Faça, Vá are the most common irregulars. Learn them first.
frontend.learn_grammar.from_rule: Irregular Imperatives: Diga! Faça! Vá! (Say! Do! Go!)

Vocabulaire clé (5)

Ficar to stay/to become Sempre always Diga say (imperative) Cafézinho little coffee Casarão big house/mansion

Real-World Preview

coffee

At a Cafe

Review Summary

  • Present 'você' form minus 's'
  • Root + inho/inha

Erreurs courantes

Ensure you use the imperative form, not the present indicative, for commands.

Wrong: Fica aqui! (Using indicative instead of imperative)
Correct: Fique aqui!

Don't use diminutives with words that are already inherently large or absolute.

Wrong: Muito grandezinho
Correct: Muito grande

Adverbs like 'sempre' usually come before the verb in Portuguese.

Wrong: Sempre eu faço
Correct: Eu sempre faço

Next Steps

You are doing amazing! Keep pushing forward.

Practice giving commands to your pet or a mirror.

Continue to: Numbers, Dates & Comparisons

Pratique rapide (10)

Fill in the blank.

O banco ___ na esquina.

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: fica
Ficar is for location.

frontend.learn_grammar.from_rule: The Verb Ficar: Becoming, Staying & Locations

Add the diminutive to 'casa'.

A ___ é pequena.

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: casinha
Correct suffix.

frontend.learn_grammar.from_rule: Portuguese Diminutives: Making Things Cute (-inho/-inha)

Fill in the blank with the correct formal imperative.

___ (Dizer) a verdade!

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: Diga
Formal imperative of dizer is Diga.

frontend.learn_grammar.from_rule: Irregular Imperatives: Diga! Faça! Vá! (Say! Do! Go!)

Select the best adverb.

O café está ___ quente.

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: muito
Adverb modifying adjective.

frontend.learn_grammar.from_rule: Essential Portuguese Adverbs: muito, pouco, sempre, nunca, já

Choose the correct informal imperative.

___ (Fazer) o seu trabalho!

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: Faz
Informal imperative of fazer is Faz.

frontend.learn_grammar.from_rule: Irregular Imperatives: Diga! Faça! Vá! (Say! Do! Go!)

Fix the error.

Find and fix the mistake:

Ele tem um narigão.

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: Correct
It is correct.

frontend.learn_grammar.from_rule: Portuguese Augmentatives: Making Things Big (-ão/-ona)

Choose the correct form.

Eu tenho ___ fome.

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: muita
Fome is feminine.

frontend.learn_grammar.from_rule: Essential Portuguese Adverbs: muito, pouco, sempre, nunca, já

Conjugate the verb in the imperative.

___ (Falar) comigo!

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: Fale
AR verbs take -e.

frontend.learn_grammar.from_rule: Portuguese Imperative: Giving Commands with Regular Verbs (Fale! Coma! Abra!)

Choose the correct verb.

Eu ___ feliz com o presente.

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: fico
Ficar for state change.

frontend.learn_grammar.from_rule: The Verb Ficar: Becoming, Staying & Locations

Fix the sentence.

Find and fix the mistake:

Eu como muito não.

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: Eu não como muito.
Negative goes before verb.

frontend.learn_grammar.from_rule: Essential Portuguese Adverbs: muito, pouco, sempre, nunca, já

Score: /10

Questions fréquentes (6)

No, it sounds weird for some words.
It's the rule to create the stem for the imperative.
In Brazil, yes. In Portugal, 'tu' is common.
No, use 'ser'. 'Eu sou professor'.
No, it's also for state changes and staying.
They are high-frequency verbs that have evolved over time to be shorter and more efficient.
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