I recently figured out why Portuguese door signs say Puxe and Empurre instead of the dictionary words I learned, Puxar (to pull) and Empurrar (to push).
It’s not a typo. It’s the Imperative Mood. Basically, the door is bossing you around.
The “Bossy Mode” Rule
The imperative is how Portuguese creates a command. For regular verbs, the ending flips based on who you are talking to (and public signs usually talk to Você, the formal/general “you”).
For -AR verbs (like Puxar), the ending drops the -ar and adds -e.
- Puxar becomes Puxe.
- Empurrar becomes Empurre.
This explains why you see Fale (Speak) or Espere (Wait) on signs everywhere.
The Classic Trap
The biggest problem isn’t the grammar, though—it’s that the command Puxe looks exactly like the English word “Push.” It creates an embarrassing daily struggle for every immigrant.
If you are constantly crashing into doors because of this, check out my specific note on the verb Puxar to fix that false friend forever.