
cansar Negative Imperative Conjugation
cansar — to tire (someone) out
Use 'no + present subjunctive' (no te canses, no se canse, etc.) for negative commands telling someone not to tire themselves out.
cansar Negative Imperative Forms
When to Use the Negative Imperative
This is for telling someone NOT to do something. So, 'no te canses' means 'don't tire yourself out'. You might say this if someone is already exhausted and you don't want them to push it further.
Notes on cansar in the Negative Imperative
The negative imperative uses the present subjunctive. Cansarse is regular in the present subjunctive. Remember to include the reflexive pronoun after the verb (e.g., 'no te canses').
Example Sentences
No te canses tanto, que mañana hay que madrugar.
Don't tire yourself out so much, because tomorrow we have to get up early.
tú
No se cansen antes de terminar la tarea.
Don't tire yourselves out before finishing the homework.
ustedes
Por favor, no se canse usted todavía.
Please, don't tire yourself out yet.
usted
Common Mistakes
Mistake: Forgetting the 'no'.
Correct: It must be 'no te canses', not 'te canses'.
Why: The word 'no' is essential for making the command negative.
Mistake: Using the infinitive or indicative instead of subjunctive.
Correct: Use 'no te canses', not 'no te cansas' or 'no cansar'.
Why: Negative commands always use the present subjunctive form.
Master Spanish verbs in context
Memorizing tables only gets you so far. Read 200+ illustrated and narrated Spanish stories to see verbs like 'cansar' used naturally — in the tenses you're learning.
Related Tenses
Present
yo: canso
The present tense of cansarse (canso, cansas, cansa, etc.) describes habitual or current actions of tiring oneself out.
Preterite
yo: cansé
The preterite of cansarse (cansé, cansaste, cansó, etc.) describes completed past actions of tiring oneself out.
Imperfect
yo: cansaba
The imperfect of cansarse (cansaba, cansabas, etc.) describes ongoing or habitual past actions of tiring oneself out.
Future
yo: cansaré
The future tense of cansarse (cansaré, cansarás, etc.) talks about the future action of tiring oneself out.
Conditional
yo: cansaría
The conditional of cansarse (cansaría, cansarías, etc.) expresses hypothetical situations or polite suggestions about tiring oneself out.
Present Subjunctive
yo: canse
The present subjunctive (cance, canses, etc.) is used after expressions of doubt, desire, emotion, or uncertainty about tiring oneself out.
Imperfect Subjunctive
yo: cansara
The imperfect subjunctive (cansara, cansaras, etc.) expresses hypothetical or unreal situations in the past related to tiring oneself out.
Affirmative Imperative
yo: cansa
Use the imperative of cansarse (cansate, cansate, cansémonos, cansaos, cáñense) for direct commands to get someone to tire themselves out.