Portuguese Phrase
Descreve a pessoa e o lugar.
Meaning
A direct instruction meaning ‘Describe the person and the place.’ It asks the listener to give details about both a specific individual and the location they are in.
When to use
Use this phrase in classroom activities, writing prompts, or any situation where you want someone to give a brief description of a person and the surrounding environment.
✦Grammar Breakdown
Descreveapessoaeolugar.
Imperative (tu)
Descreve is the informal singular imperative of the verb descrever, used with the pronoun tu.
Definite articles
a (feminine) agrees with pessoa; o (masculine) agrees with lugar.
Conjunction e
e simply links two noun phrases, equivalent to ‘and’ in English.
Verb‑object order
In Portuguese commands the verb comes first, followed directly by the objects.
🗨In Conversation
Descreve a pessoa e o lugar.
Describe the person and the place.
Ele tem cabelos castanhos, usa óculos, e está numa praça com muitas árvores e bancos.
He has brown hair, wears glasses, and is in a square with many trees and benches.
✕Common Mistakes
Descreve a pessoa e o lugar, você.
If you are speaking to someone you address with ‘você’, the correct imperative is ‘Descreva’. ‘Descreve’ is only for ‘tu’.
Descreve o pessoa e a lugar.
Make sure the articles agree with the nouns; do not say ‘o pessoa’ or ‘a lugar’.
Descreve a pessoa e lugar.
Avoid omitting the article before ‘lugar’; ‘Descreve a pessoa e lugar’ sounds incomplete.
↔Alternatives
Descreva a pessoa e o lugar.
Describe the person and the place. (formal)
Faça uma descrição da pessoa e do local.
Make a description of the person and the location.
Fala sobre a pessoa e o lugar.
Talk about the person and the place.
Cultural Tip
In Brazil and Portugal, the informal imperative ‘Descreve’ is used with the pronoun tu, which is common in the south of Brazil and most of Portugal. In more formal contexts or when speaking to someone you don’t know well, switch to the formal imperative ‘Descreva’. Also, Portuguese speakers often prefer the phrase ‘Faz uma descrição de…’ when asking for a longer, more detailed account.