cagar Negative Imperative Conjugation
cagar — to mess up
Negative commands use 'no' + present subjunctive: 'no cagues' (tú), 'no caguen' (ustedes).
cagar Negative Imperative Forms
When to Use the Negative Imperative
You use the negative imperative to tell someone *not* to do something. With 'cagar,' it's usually telling someone not to mess things up or to not cause trouble.
Notes on cagar in the Negative Imperative
All negative commands in Spanish are formed using the present subjunctive. So, 'cagar' follows the present subjunctive rules: 'no cagues,' 'no cague,' 'no caguemos,' 'no caguéis,' 'no caguen.'
Example Sentences
No cagues el plan, por favor.
Don't mess up the plan, please.
tú
No caguen la sorpresa.
Don't ruin the surprise.
No caguen las cosas aquí.
Don't mess things up here.
Common Mistakes
Mistake: Using the infinitive instead of the subjunctive.
Correct: Always use the present subjunctive after 'no' for negative commands: 'no cagar' is incorrect; 'no cagues' is correct.
Why: Spanish grammar requires the subjunctive mood for negative commands.
Mistake: Confusing the 'yo' subjunctive form with the negative command for 'yo'.
Correct: There is no negative command for 'yo'. You would typically rephrase or use a different structure.
Why: Negative commands are directed at 'tú,' 'usted,' 'vosotros,' 'nosotros,' and 'ustedes,' not 'yo.'
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Related Tenses
Present
yo: cago
Use present for current actions or habits: 'cago' (I mess up), 'cagan' (they mess up).
Preterite
yo: cagué
Use preterite for completed past actions: 'cagué' (I messed up), 'cagó' (he/she messed up).
Imperfect
yo: cagaba
Use imperfect for ongoing/habitual past actions: 'cagaba' (I used to mess up), 'cagaban' (they used to mess up).
Future
yo: cagaré
Use future for predictions: 'cagaré' (I will mess up), 'cagarán' (they will mess up).
Conditional
yo: cagaría
Use conditional for hypotheticals ('would'): 'cagaría' (I would mess up), 'cagarían' (they would mess up).
Present Subjunctive
yo: cague
Use present subjunctive after doubts, wishes, emotions: 'espero que cagues', 'dudo que cague'.
Imperfect Subjunctive
yo: cagara
Use 'cagar' imperfect subjunctive for past hypotheticals or wishes: 'si cagara,' 'ojalá cagase'.
Affirmative Imperative
yo: caga
Use 'cagar' commands directly: 'caga' (tú), 'caguen' (ustedes), etc.