
malgastar Negative Imperative Conjugation
malgastar — to waste
Form negative commands with 'no' + present subjunctive: 'no malgastes' (tú), 'no malgasten' (ustedes).
malgastar Negative Imperative Forms
When to Use the Negative Imperative
Use the negative imperative to forbid an action. It's like saying 'Don't do X!' when you want to stop someone from wasting something.
Notes on malgastar in the Negative Imperative
Negative commands use the present subjunctive. Malgastar is regular in the present subjunctive, so forms like 'no malgastes' and 'no malgasten' are predictable.
Example Sentences
No malgastes el dinero en cosas innecesarias.
Don't waste money on unnecessary things.
tú
Por favor, no malgasten la comida.
Please, don't waste the food.
ustedes
No malgastemos este tiempo juntos.
Let's not waste this time together.
nosotros
No malgastéis vuestra energía en discutir.
Don't waste your energy arguing.
vosotros
Common Mistakes
Mistake: Using the infinitive instead of the subjunctive for negative commands.
Correct: It should be 'no malgastes' (tú), not 'no malgastar'.
Why: Negative commands in Spanish are formed using the present subjunctive, not the infinitive.
Mistake: Forgetting the 'no' when giving a negative command.
Correct: Always include 'no' before the subjunctive verb: 'no malgasten'.
Why: The 'no' is essential to make the command negative.
Master Spanish verbs in context
Memorizing tables only gets you so far. Read 200+ illustrated and narrated Spanish stories to see verbs like 'malgastar' used naturally — in the tenses you're learning.
Related Tenses
Present
yo: malgasto
Malgastar is regular: malgasto, malgastas, malgasta, malgastamos, malgastáis, malgastan.
Preterite
yo: malgasté
The preterite of malgastar is regular: malgasté, malgastaste, malgastó, malgastamos, malgastasteis, malgastaron.
Imperfect
yo: malgastaba
The imperfect of malgastar is regular: malgastaba, malgastabas, malgastaba, malgastábamos, malgastabais, malgastaban.
Future
yo: malgastaré
The future of malgastar is regular: malgastaré, malgastarás, malgastará, malgastaremos, malgastaréis, malgastarán.
Conditional
yo: malgastaría
The conditional of malgastar is regular: malgastaría, malgastarías, malgastaría, malgastaríamos, malgastaríais, malgastarían.
Present Subjunctive
yo: malgaste
Use 'malgaste' for wishes, doubts, emotions, and after impersonal expressions.
Imperfect Subjunctive
yo: malgastara
Use 'malgastara' or 'malgastase' for past hypotheticals, wishes, or polite requests.
Affirmative Imperative
yo: malgasta
Use 'malgasta' (tú) and 'malgasten' (ustedes) for direct commands with malgastar.