amenazar Affirmative Imperative Conjugation
amenazar — to threaten
Use 'amenaza' for informal commands and 'amenace' for formal ones, noting the z-to-c change in formal forms.
amenazar Affirmative Imperative Forms
When to Use the Affirmative Imperative
Used to give direct orders to threaten (though rare in positive contexts, e.g., 'Threaten him so he talks!').
Notes on amenazar in the Affirmative Imperative
The 'tú' form is regular (amenaza). The formal 'usted' and 'ustedes' forms change 'z' to 'c' (amenace, amenacen) because they are borrowed from the subjunctive.
Example Sentences
Amenaza al sospechoso para que confiese.
Threaten the suspect so he confesses.
tú
Amenace usted con retirarse si no aceptan las condiciones.
Threaten to withdraw if they don't accept the conditions.
usted
Amenacemos con una huelga.
Let's threaten with a strike.
nosotros
Common Mistakes
Mistake: Writing 'amenaze' for the formal command.
Correct: amenace
Why: The formal imperative follows the spelling rules of the subjunctive (z becomes c before e).
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Related Tenses
Present
yo: amenazo
The present of amenazar is regular except for the z-to-c spelling change in the subjunctive (not here), following standard -ar patterns: amenazo, amenazas, amenaza...
Preterite
yo: amenacé
The preterite features a spelling change in the 'yo' form (amenacé) to keep the 'th/s' sound, but is otherwise regular.
Imperfect
yo: amenazaba
The imperfect of amenazar is entirely regular: amenazaba, amenazabas, amenazaba...
Future
yo: amenazaré
The future tense is regular; simply add the endings to the infinitive: amenazaré, amenazarás, amenazará.
Conditional
yo: amenazaría
The conditional is regular: amenazaría, amenazarías, amenazaría...
Present Subjunctive
yo: amenace
The present subjunctive requires a spelling change from 'z' to 'c' in all forms: amenace, amenaces, amenace...
Imperfect Subjunctive
yo: amenazara
The imperfect subjunctive is based on the preterite third-person plural: amenazara, amenazaras, amenazara...
Negative Imperative
yo: no amenaces
Always uses the present subjunctive forms: no amenaces, no amenace, no amenacen.