colar Negative Imperative Conjugation
colar — to strain
The negative imperative uses the present subjunctive forms: no cueles, no cuele, no colemos, no coléis, no cuelen.
colar Negative Imperative Forms
When to Use the Negative Imperative
Use this to tell someone NOT to strain something or NOT to sneak into a place.
Notes on colar in the Negative Imperative
It follows the present subjunctive rules, including the o > ue stem change for all forms except nosotros and vosotros.
Example Sentences
No cueles la salsa todavía.
Don't strain the sauce yet.
tú
No se cuelen en la fila, por favor.
Don't cut in line, please.
Common Mistakes
Mistake: Saying 'no cuelas'.
Correct: no cueles
Why: Negative commands must use the subjunctive ending (-es for -ar verbs), not the indicative (-as).
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Related Tenses
Present
yo: cuelo
Colar changes its stem from 'o' to 'ue' in the present tense, except for nosotros and vosotros.
Preterite
yo: colé
Colar is completely regular in the preterite: colé, colaste, coló, colamos, colasteis, colaron.
Imperfect
yo: colaba
Colar is regular in the imperfect: colaba, colabas, colaba, colábamos, colabais, colaban.
Future
yo: colaré
The future of colar is regular: colaré, colarás, colará, colaremos, colaréis, colarán.
Conditional
yo: colaría
The conditional of colar is regular: colaría, colarías, colaría, colaríamos, colaríais, colarían.
Present Subjunctive
yo: cuele
The present subjunctive of colar follows the o > ue stem change: cuele, cueles, cuele, colemos, coléis, cuelen.
Imperfect Subjunctive
yo: colara
The imperfect subjunctive of colar is regular: colara, colaras, colara, coláramos, colarais, colaran.
Affirmative Imperative
yo: cuela
The imperative uses 'cuela' (tú) and 'cuele' (usted), following the stem change.