Word
Não toques no computador com as mãos molhadas.
Meaning
Don't touch the computer with wet hands.
Part of speech
sentence
Pronunciation
Lesson
Breakdown of Não toques no computador com as mãos molhadas.
com
with
não
not
o computador
the computer
molhado
wet
Questions & Answers about Não toques no computador com as mãos molhadas.
Why is it toques and not tocas?
Because this is a negative command addressed to tu.
- tu tocas = you touch (normal present tense statement)
- não toques = don’t touch (negative command)
In European Portuguese, negative commands use the present subjunctive form, not the regular present indicative.
So:
- Tu tocas no computador. = You touch the computer.
- Não toques no computador. = Don’t touch the computer.
Is Não toques an imperative?
Yes — functionally, it is a command, but grammatically it is formed with the present subjunctive.
In Portuguese:
- Affirmative commands for tu usually use the imperative form:
- Toca no computador. = Touch the computer.
- Negative commands use:
- Não toques no computador. = Don’t touch the computer.
So learners often think:
negative imperative = não + present subjunctive
That is a very useful rule.
Who is this sentence talking to?