Breakdown of Lavem o alho, por favor.
Questions & Answers about Lavem o alho, por favor.
Why does the verb end in -em (lavem) instead of -am (lavam)?
This is the affirmative command form for vocês (plural you). For regular -ar verbs like lavar, the formal and plural command forms swap the usual a vowel for an e. So, the present tense lavam becomes the command lavem. Who exactly is being told to wash the garlic here?
Multiple people. Because the verb is lavem rather than the singular lave, we know the speaker is addressing a group of two or more. How would I give this exact same instruction to just one person formally?
You would say Lave o alho, por favor. To make the formal singular você command, you just use the swapped vowel -e without the plural -m at the end. Does o alho mean a whole bulb of garlic or just a clove?
Alho broadly refers to garlic in general. If you specifically need a clove of garlic, you would use the phrase um dente de alho (literally, a tooth of garlic). A whole bulb is called uma cabeça de alho (a head of garlic). Learn Lavem o alho, por favor 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