venha

Venha is a Portuguese word that functions primarily as a verb form of vir (to come). It is most commonly encountered as an imperative or as the present subjunctive, depending on the grammatical mood and the person being addressed. In everyday speech, venham and venhamos appear in plural and collective forms, while venham is also used as the polite or formal imperative for você/ele/ela in many dialects.

Grammatical details include several related forms: the affirmative imperative for você (and for ele/ela in formal contexts) is venha; the first-person plural subjunctive is venhamos; the affirmative imperative for vós is vinde; the third-person plural imperative is venham. The negative imperative takes the form não venha (for você/ele/ela) and não venham (for vocês/eles/elas). The word also appears in the present subjunctive in subordinate clauses, as in Espero que venha amanhã.

Usage and nuance: venha is commonly used to invite or encourage someone to come, as in Venha comigo (Come with me) or Venha, por favor (Please come). In Brazilian Portuguese, the phrase Venha já is a frequent exhortation to join quickly. In European Portuguese, venham também serves a formal or collective invitation. The form is versatile in formal speech, invitations, and literary or ceremonial contexts, while more informal speech may favor comes such as vem (tu) or venha no imperativo dirigido a você.

Etymology and related forms: venham derives from the Latin venire, the ancestor of the Portuguese vir and related Romance-language verbs. It is closely related to imperative and subjunctive forms found in related languages, reflecting common Latin roots for the verb “to come.”