Giving Commands in Spanish: The Imperative
How to form commands with tú and usted, affirmative and negative, plus common irregular forms.
The imperative is used to give instructions, make requests and offer invitations.
Tú commands (affirmative)
Use the él / ella form of the present:
- hablar → ¡Habla!
- comer → ¡Come!
- escribir → ¡Escribe!
Irregular tú commands
| Verb | Command |
|---|---|
| ir | ve |
| venir | ven |
| hacer | haz |
| decir | di |
| poner | pon |
| salir | sal |
| ser | sé |
| tener | ten |
Usted and ustedes commands
Use the subjunctive forms: swap the vowel (-ar verbs take -e, -er and -ir verbs take -a):
- ¡Hable! (usted), ¡Hablen! (ustedes)
- ¡Coma!, ¡Coman!
- ¡Escriba!, ¡Escriban!
Negative commands
For tú, use the subjunctive form after no:
- No hables. Don't speak.
- No comas. Don't eat.
- No vayas. Don't go.
Pronouns
- Affirmative: attach the pronoun: Dímelo. Tell me.
- Negative: place before: No me lo digas. Don't tell me.
An accent mark may be needed when pronouns are attached, to keep the stress: dímelo, cómpralo.
Vosotros
In Spain, replace the final -r of the infinitive with -d: hablad, comed, escribid.
Polite requests
Spanish often softens commands:
- Por favor, siéntese. Please, sit down.
- ¿Puede ayudarme? Can you help me?
- Pase, por favor. Come in, please.
Tips
- Learn the eight irregular tú commands.
- Use por favor.
- Use the dictionary to check forms.
English Spanish Dictionary
Offline English–Spanish dictionary with gender and accents handled properly
More about English Spanish Dictionary
A Gentle Introduction to the Spanish Subjunctive
What the subjunctive is, when it is needed and the easiest ways to start using it.
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