Informal commands (treina, bebe)

When giving instructions to a friend or peer, use informal commands. To give an affirmative command to someone you address as tu, just use the present tense ele/ela/você form of the verb (or simply drop the final -r from the infinitive).

  • For -ar verbs, the command ends in -a (e.g., treinartreina).
  • For -er and -ir verbs, the command ends in -e (e.g., corrercorre).
Infinitivetu Command
respirar (to breathe)respira
correr (to run)corre
beber (to drink)bebe
Breathe deeply and start the workout!
Respira fundo e começa o treino!
Run faster and rest tomorrow!
Corre mais rápido e descansa amanhã!
Hold the water bottle and drink!
Segura a garrafa de água e bebe!
Pull the weight slowly!
Puxa o peso devagar!

Commands with Pronouns

You can attach direct object pronouns (-o, -a, -os, -as) to the end of a command to replace a noun (like saying "pull them" instead of "pull the weights").

Because regular informal tu commands end in a vowel, no spelling changes are needed. Just attach the pronoun directly to the command with a hyphen.

The box is heavy. Push it to the bedroom!
A caixa é pesada. Empurra-a para o quarto!
The weights are light. Pull them up!
Os pesos são leves. Puxa-os para cima!