alterar Affirmative Imperative Conjugation
alterar — to change
Alter commands are mostly regular: ¡altera, altere, alteremos, alterad, alteren!
alterar Affirmative Imperative Forms
When to Use the Affirmative Imperative
Use the imperative to give direct commands. For 'tú', it's a direct order: '¡Altera el archivo!' (Change the file!). For 'ustedes', it's a polite command or instruction: 'Alteren la configuración'.
Notes on alterar in the Affirmative Imperative
Alter is regular in the imperative. Remember to use the subjunctive forms for 'usted', 'nosotros', and 'ustedes'. The 'vosotros' form is 'alterad'.
Example Sentences
¡Altera el texto para que sea más claro!
Change the text to make it clearer!
tú
Por favor, altere la fecha de entrega.
Please change the delivery date.
usted
Alteremos el plan si es necesario.
Let's change the plan if it's necessary.
nosotros
¡Alterad las medidas según las instrucciones!
Change the measurements according to the instructions!
vosotros
Alteren el orden de las preguntas.
Change the order of the questions.
Common Mistakes
Mistake: Using the indicative instead of the imperative for tú.
Correct: Use 'altera' for a command, not 'alteras'.
Why: The indicative 'alteras' describes an action, while the imperative 'altera' is a direct command.
Mistake: Forgetting the 'no' for negative commands.
Correct: Commands are given with the subjunctive, so negative commands need 'no': 'No alteres eso'.
Why: The negative imperative is formed using the present subjunctive with 'no'.
Master Spanish verbs in context
Memorizing tables only gets you so far. Read 200+ illustrated and narrated Spanish stories to see verbs like 'alterar' used naturally — in the tenses you're learning.
Related Tenses
Present
yo: altero
The present tense of alter (altero, alteras, altera, alteramos, alteráis, alteran) describes current actions, habits, or general truths.
Preterite
yo: alteré
The preterite of alter is regular: alteré, alteraste, alteró, alteramos, alterasteis, alteraron.
Imperfect
yo: alteraba
The imperfect of alter (alteraba, alterabas, alteraba, alterábamos, alterabais, alteraban) describes ongoing or habitual past actions.
Future
yo: alteraré
The future tense of alter (alteraré, alterarás, alterará, alteraremos, alteraréis, alterarán) indicates actions that will happen.
Conditional
yo: alteraría
The conditional of alter (alteraría, alterarías, alteraría, alteraríamos, alteraríais, alterarían) expresses hypotheticals ('would') and polite requests.
Present Subjunctive
yo: altere
The present subjunctive of alter (altere, alteres, alteremos, alteréis, alteren) is used after expressions of will, doubt, emotion, and uncertainty.
Imperfect Subjunctive
yo: alterara
The imperfect subjunctive of alter (alterara/alterase) is used for past hypotheticals, wishes, or polite requests.
Negative Imperative
yo: no alteres
Negative commands for alter are formed with 'no' + present subjunctive: no alteres, no altere, no alteremos, no alteréis, no alteren.