Log inSign up

Cortem os tomates agora.

Cortem os tomates agora.
Cut the tomatoes now.
From Lesson 95:Formal commands (corte, bebam)·Portuguese (Portugal)

Breakdown of Cortem os tomates agora.

agora
now
cortar
to cut
o tomate
the tomato

Questions & Answers about Cortem os tomates agora.

Why does the verb end in -em (cortem) instead of -am (cortam)?
Because this is a command (the imperative)! For regular -ar verbs like cortar (to cut), you form the vocês (plural "you") command by swapping the usual a for an e, adding an m at the end. If it were cortam, it would just be a statement: "You cut" or "They cut".
Who exactly is being told to cut the tomatoes here?
Multiple people! Because the verb is cortem, it's the plural command form used for vocês (you all). If you were giving this command to just one person formally (você), you would drop the m and say Corte os tomates agora.
How do I pronounce the -em at the end of cortem?
In European Portuguese, an -em at the end of a word isn't pronounced with a hard English "m" sound (like in "them"). Instead, it forms a nasal sound, somewhat similar to the "ayng" in the English word "saying".
Why is it os tomates and not as tomates?
The word tomate (tomato) is a masculine noun, even though it ends in an -e rather than an -o. Because it's masculine and plural, you must use the masculine plural word for "the", which is os.

Learn Cortem os tomates agora and more in Portuguese

All course content and exercises are completely free — no paywalls, no trial periods, no signup needed.

  • ✓ Practice with interactive exercises
  • ✓ Track your progress with spaced repetition
  • ✓Learn at your own pace — completely free
Start learning Portuguese →