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A storybook illustration showing a person sitting at a wooden table, happily eating a plate of food indoors under warm, dim lighting, signifying the evening meal.

cenar Affirmative Imperative Conjugation

cenar — to have dinner

A1regular -ar★★★★★
Quick answer:

The imperative of cenar gives commands: cena (tú), cenad (vosotros), cene (usted), cenen (ustedes).

cenar Affirmative Imperative Forms

túcena
ustedcene
nosotroscenemos
vosotroscenad
ustedescenen

When to Use the Affirmative Imperative

Use the imperative to tell someone to eat their dinner or to invite a group to start dining.

Notes on cenar in the Affirmative Imperative

Cenar is regular in the imperative. The 'tú' form is identical to the present 'él/ella' form.

Example Sentences

  • Cena pronto y vete a dormir.

    Eat your dinner soon and go to sleep.

    tú

  • Cenad todo lo que hay en el plato.

    Eat everything on the plate (you all).

    vosotros

  • Cenemos en la terraza hoy.

    Let's have dinner on the terrace today.

    nosotros

Common Mistakes

  • Mistake: cenar (as a command)

    Correct: cenad

    Why: In Spain, the imperative for 'vosotros' ends in -d, not -r.

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Related Tenses

Present

yo: ceno

The present tense of cenar is regular: ceno, cenas, cena, cenamos, cenáis, cenan.

Preterite

yo: cené

The preterite of cenar is regular: cené, cenaste, cenó, cenamos, cenasteis, cenaron.

Imperfect

yo: cenaba

The imperfect of cenar follows the standard -aba pattern: cenaba, cenabas, cenaba, cenábamos, cenabais, cenaban.

Future

yo: cenaré

The future of cenar uses the infinitive as the stem: cenaré, cenarás, cenará, cenaremos, cenaréis, cenarán.

Conditional

yo: cenaría

The conditional of cenar is regular: cenaría, cenarías, cenaría, cenaríamos, cenaríais, cenarían.

Present Subjunctive

yo: cene

The present subjunctive of cenar uses the -e endings: cene, cenes, cene, cenemos, cenéis, cenen.

Imperfect Subjunctive

yo: cenara

The imperfect subjunctive of cenar uses the -ara endings: cenara, cenaras, cenara, cenáramos, cenarais, cenaran.

Negative Imperative

yo: no cenes

The negative imperative of cenar uses the present subjunctive: no cenes, no cene, no cenemos, no cenéis, no cenen.