Portuguese Commands: Fale, Fala, and Everyday Brazilian Usage — Practice

Build common você commands with subjunctive forms

When you address someone as você, positive commands commonly use the same verb form as the present subjunctive: falar becomes fale, esperar becomes espere, and abrir becomes abra. Add por favor to soften a request: fale mais devagar, por favor (please speak more slowly).

Brazil is linguistically diverse. In some regions, speakers use tu with a verb ending such as tu falas; elsewhere, tu fala is common in conversation. The command forms people choose also vary. Learn the pattern that matches the pronoun in the variety you are studying, and listen for local usage.

Use não before a negative command

For negative commands, use não followed by the subjunctive form: não fale, não espere, não abra. This pattern works with você and with formal written instructions, though everyday regional speech can differ. A gentle expression such as por favor or melhor não can make a suggestion feel less forceful.

The imperative is not rude by itself; context, tone, and wording shape how a request feels. In a café, pode trazer a conta? (could you bring the check?) may sound more natural than a bare command. Direct commands are useful for directions, instructions, and familiar exchanges.

Remember: For a standard você command, try fale, espere, or abra; for a negative command, use não + the subjunctive form. Match tu patterns to the regional speech you hear.

Check your understanding

Choose the English meaning of each Portuguese example. Answer before looking back at the tables. These questions check the written examples in this guide; they are not a listening or proficiency test.

Recall the Portuguese, then say it

Read the English prompt and say a Portuguese version before opening the answer. The answer shows the example from the lesson; other natural translations may also work. Compare the meaning and the situation rather than counting a different word as automatically wrong.

1. Wait a minute, please.

   Show a Portuguese answer

   Espere um minuto, por favor.

2. Ask a question if you need to.

   Show a Portuguese answer

   Faça uma pergunta se precisar.

3. Open the window when you arrive.

   Show a Portuguese answer

   Abra a janela quando chegar.

4. Don’t worry; I can wait.

   Show a Portuguese answer

   Não se preocupe; eu posso esperar.

5. Don’t put the backpack in the hallway.

   Show a Portuguese answer

   Não coloque a mochila no corredor.

6. Could you repeat that part, please?

   Show a Portuguese answer

   Pode repetir essa parte, por favor?

Make the phrase useful to you

Choose one example you could actually use. Say it once from memory, then change one detail that fits your life, such as the person, place, time, or object. Check whether your change also needs a different verb form, article, or adjective ending. If it does, compare it with the pattern in the explanation.

For a standard você command, try fale, espere, or abra; for a negative command, use não + the subjunctive form. Match tu patterns to the regional speech you hear.

Return to two prompts tomorrow without opening the answers first. If a phrase still feels difficult, shorten it to a useful chunk and build the complete sentence again.

Sources and your next lesson

This I Speak Portuguese practice guide builds on our Portuguese Commands: Fale, Fala, and Everyday Brazilian Usage lesson on Real Life Portuguese, with written recall tasks and additional speaking practice. The explanations and examples are teaching material; the practice questions are exercises, not a transcript of a recording.

To add Brazilian audio to your routine, choose a lesson in the Real Life Portuguese app. The app offers its own lessons and practice; this page does not imply that every example here has an app recording.