A2 · Elementary Chapter 50

Commands, Diminutives & Daily Expressions

6 Total Rules
1 min
Rules in This Chapter Quick Practice

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.

What You'll Learn

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.

Tips & Tricks (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!)

Key Vocabulary (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

Common Mistakes

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

Quick Practice (10)

Correct the sentence.

Find and fix the mistake:

Eu fico brasileiro.

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: Eu sou brasileiro.
Nationality is permanent.

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

Fix the sentence.

Find and fix the mistake:

Comer a maçã!

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: Coma a maçã!
ER verbs take -a.

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

Which is the correct imperative?

___ (Abrir) a porta.

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: Abra
IR verbs take -a.

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

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

Fill in the blank.

A casa grande é uma ___.

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: casona
Correct suffix for feminine.

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

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.

Você ___ viu este filme?

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: já
Question about completion.

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

Choose the correct form.

Which is correct for a big car?

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: carrão
Masculine augmentative.

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

Correct the sentence.

Find and fix the mistake:

Não faz isso!

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: Não faças isso!
Negative commands need the subjunctive.

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

Score: /10

Common Questions (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.
Previous Chapter
Describing the Past & Looking Ahead
Next Chapter
Numbers, Dates & Comparisons
Back to Roadmap