Nós Commands (Let's...) | Portuguese (Portugal) Grammar

The nós imperative is Portuguese for "let's...". It is how you propose a joint action: let's eat, let's go, let's talk about it later. The slot exists in two very different forms. There is a synthetic form -- a single conjugated verb (falemos!, comamos!, partamos!) -- and an analytic form -- vamos + infinitive (vamos falar, vamos comer, vamos partir). Both exist in the modern language, but they live in completely different registers, and choosing between them is a register decision, not a grammatical one.

The synthetic form: present subjunctive

The synthetic nós imperative is the present subjunctive nós form. The pattern:

-ar verbs → -emos: falar → falemos, trabalhar → trabalhemos, entrar → entremos
-er verbs → -amos: comer → comamos, beber → bebamos, atender → atendamos
-ir verbs → -amos: partir → partamos, decidir → decidamos, abrir → abramos

Falemos agora do próximo passo.

Let's now talk about the next step.

Comamos antes que arrefeça.

Let's eat before it gets cold.

Partamos cedo para evitar o trânsito.

Let's leave early to avoid the traffic.

Notice the register. These sentences are grammatically perfect and completely standard, but they feel formal, slightly literary, or at least carefully composed. You meet them in writing, in speeches, in reflective prose, in church, in meetings -- not when your friend is asking if you want to grab lunch.

Irregular synthetic nós commands

The irregular verbs follow the present subjunctive paradigm. Here are the most common:

Infinitive	Synthetic nós	Meaning
ser	sejamos	let's be
estar	estejamos	let's be (state)
ter	tenhamos	let's have
ir	vamos	let's go
vir	venhamos	let's come
fazer	façamos	let's do
dizer	digamos	let's say
pôr	ponhamos	let's put
saber	saibamos	let's know
ver	vejamos	let's see
dar	demos	let's give

The verb ir is the strange one in this table. Its "subjunctive" nós form would in principle be vamos, but that same form is also the present indicative of ir -- and in practice, vamos is the one normal, everyday way to say "let's go" in Portuguese, regardless of whether you analyse it as indicative or subjunctive. No one ever says vamos! and thinks of it as a rarefied subjunctive.

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Vamos has a foot in both worlds. Morphologically it is the present indicative of ir, but functionally it serves as the nós imperative of ir and also as the auxiliary in the vamos + infinitive construction. Do not try to analyse it into one single category -- just use it.

Façamos um acordo: tu lavas a louça, eu passo a ferro.

Let's make a deal: you wash the dishes, I'll iron.

Sejamos honestos, isto não está a correr bem.

Let's be honest, this isn't going well.

Vejamos o que o chefe diz.

Let's see what the boss says.

Digamos que sim, por enquanto.

Let's say yes, for now.

The analytic form: vamos + infinitive

This is the form of everyday spoken Portuguese. Instead of conjugating the main verb into a subjunctive, you use vamos (the present indicative of ir, meaning "we go") plus the plain infinitive of the action verb.

vamos falar -- "let's talk"
vamos comer -- "let's eat"
vamos sair -- "let's go out"
vamos pensar nisso -- "let's think about it"

Vamos comer, que está tudo pronto.

Let's eat, everything's ready.

Vamos falar sobre isso amanhã.

Let's talk about it tomorrow.

Vamos dar um passeio pela praia.

Let's take a walk along the beach.

Vamos ver o que acontece.

Let's see what happens.

Vamos lá, estamos atrasados!

Let's go, we're late!

This is what you will hear constantly in real conversation. Between friends, family, and coworkers, vamos + infinitive is the default. The synthetic falemos would feel oddly ceremonious at a kitchen table.

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Rule of thumb: if you would write the suggestion in an email to your boss, the synthetic form is fine (Façamos uma reunião na sexta). If you are speaking it aloud to a friend, use vamos + infinitive (Vamos fazer uma reunião na sexta). Most spoken contexts call for the analytic form.

Negative nós: same form, with não

The negative nós imperative uses the same synthetic form -- não falemos, não comamos, não partamos -- with não in front.

Não falemos disso agora.

Let's not talk about that now.

Não comamos os bolos todos, guardemos alguns para amanhã.

Let's not eat all the cakes, let's save some for tomorrow.

There is no analytic negative. You cannot say ~~não vamos falar~~ and have it mean "let's not talk"; that sentence means either "we aren't going to talk" (factual statement about the future) or is ambiguous. To negate a "let's..." proposal in conversation, either use the synthetic form, or reformulate ("É melhor não falarmos disso" -- "It's better if we don't talk about that").

Clitics and the unique -s drop

Here is one of the most distinctive little rules in all of Portuguese grammar. When a reflexive or object pronoun beginning with n- or v- attaches to a synthetic nós imperative, the final -s of the verb drops.

levantemos + nos → levantemo-nos ("let's get up")
sentemos + nos → sentemo-nos ("let's sit down")
demos + nos → demo-nos (rare)

Levantemo-nos e saiamos.

Let's get up and leave.

Sentemo-nos ali, à sombra.

Let's sit there, in the shade.

Despachemo-nos, o comboio parte dentro de dez minutos.

Let's hurry, the train leaves in ten minutes.

This rule exists for reasons of euphony -- levantemosnos is awkward to pronounce, so the final -s drops to smooth it out. It only happens with reflexive nos (and, in very formal contexts, with vos).

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The -s drop is one of those details that marks a really careful speaker or writer. Getting it right shows you understand Portuguese phonology at a fine level. Levantemos-nos (with the -s) is not how educated speakers write or speak -- it is always levantemo-nos.

Other clitics attach normally with a hyphen, no -s drop:

Digamo-lo em voz alta.

Let's say it out loud.

Façamos-lhe uma surpresa.

Let's give him a surprise.

Here digamo-lo shows the -s drop before lo (which starts with l-, historically derived from -o after a consonant). The pattern is: when the clitic is o, a, os, as following a verb ending in -s or -r, the -s/-r drops and the clitic becomes lo, la, los, las. This is a general EP rule, not unique to the imperative -- see clitic placement.

When to use which form

Here is a practical guide:

Situation	Use
Casual conversation with friends or family	vamos + infinitive (vamos comer, vamos sair)
Proposing something at work	vamos + infinitive (vamos marcar uma reunião)
Formal writing, speeches, academic prose	synthetic (falemos, examinemos, consideremos)
Religious or ceremonial language	synthetic (oremos = "let us pray")
Negating a suggestion	synthetic with não (não falemos, não comamos)
With reflexives in elevated register	synthetic + -s drop (levantemo-nos)
With reflexives in casual speech	vamos + reflexive infinitive (vamos levantar-nos)

Examinemos a questão com calma. (formal meeting)

Let us examine the question calmly.

Vamos examinar a questão com calma. (casual meeting)

Let's examine the question calmly.

Both sentences are correct and mean essentially the same thing. The synthetic version positions the speaker as more formal or deliberate; the analytic version positions them as more conversational.

A special case: vamos lá

The particle lá ("there") combined with vamos is a ubiquitous Portuguese hortative:

Vamos lá! -- "Let's go!" / "Come on!" (rallying cry)
Vamos lá ver -- "Let's have a look" / "Let's see"
Vamos lá a isto -- "Come on, let's get to it"

Vamos lá, despacha-te!

Come on, hurry up!

Vamos lá ver se isto funciona.

Let's see if this works.

The lá adds a note of encouragement, urgency, or cheerful impatience. It is classically Portuguese and very hard to translate literally -- think of it as verbal body language.

Comparison with English

English "let's..." is a single, neutral construction. Portuguese splits it along register lines:

Let's eat → casual: vamos comer, formal: comamos
Let's go → both: vamos (no formal/casual split here)
Let's not talk about it → não falemos disso
Let's sit down → casual: vamos sentar-nos, careful: sentemo-nos

English "let's" is register-flat; Portuguese forces a register choice every time you propose a joint action. English speakers tend to default to the synthetic form when they first learn Portuguese (because it looks like "the real imperative"), and then they sound unexpectedly formal for the rest of the day. Retrain yourself toward vamos + infinitive.

Common Mistakes

❌ Falemos sobre o fim-de-semana. (between friends)

Registrally wrong -- the synthetic form sounds too formal for casual chat.

✅ Vamos falar sobre o fim-de-semana.

Let's talk about the weekend.

In casual contexts, default to vamos + infinitive. The synthetic form is technically correct but stylistically off for friendly conversation.

❌ Levantemos-nos.

Incorrect -- the -s does not stay before a clitic starting with n-.

✅ Levantemo-nos.

Let's get up.

The -s drop before nos is mandatory, not optional, in careful EP. Always levantemo-nos, sentemo-nos, despachemo-nos.

❌ Não vamos falar disso agora.

Ambiguous -- can mean 'we aren't going to talk about that now' or 'let's not talk about that now.'

✅ Não falemos disso agora.

Let's not talk about that now.

To clearly negate a "let's..." proposal, use the synthetic form with não. The vamos analytic structure does not have a clean negative imperative meaning.

❌ Vamos a comer.

Incorrect -- no preposition between vamos and the infinitive.

✅ Vamos comer.

Let's eat.

Unlike Spanish vamos a comer, Portuguese vamos comer does not use a preposition. Just vamos + bare infinitive.

❌ Fazemos um café? (meaning: let's have a coffee)

Present indicative can work with question intonation but is not a direct imperative.

✅ Vamos tomar um café? / Tomemos um café.

Let's have a coffee?

Using the plain present indicative with rising intonation is a softened suggestion, not quite "let's...". For a clear proposal, use vamos + infinitive or the synthetic form.

❌ Vamos não falar disso.

Incorrect word order -- não goes before the whole predicate.

✅ Não vamos falar disso. (ambiguous) / Não falemos disso. (clearly 'let's not')

Let's not talk about that.

Key takeaways

"Let's..." in Portuguese = synthetic falemos OR analytic vamos + infinitive.
The synthetic form (present subjunctive nós) sounds slightly formal or literary.
The analytic form (vamos + infinitive) is the everyday spoken default.
Negative "let's not..." uses the synthetic form: não falemos, não comamos.
The -s drop before reflexive nos is mandatory: levantemo-nos, sentemo-nos.
Vamos itself doubles as the nós imperative of ir -- "let's go" = vamos.
Unlike Spanish, there is no preposition between vamos and the infinitive: vamos comer, not vamos a comer.

For related grammar, see present subjunctive, clitic placement with imperatives, and the imperative overview.