
maltratar Negative Imperative Conjugation
maltratar — to mistreat
Negative commands for maltratar use the present subjunctive, like 'no maltrates' (tú) or 'no maltraten' (ustedes).
maltratar Negative Imperative Forms
When to Use the Negative Imperative
This is for telling someone NOT to do something. You'd use negative commands with 'maltratar' to forbid mistreating someone or something. For example, 'No maltrates a tu mascota' means 'Don't mistreat your pet'.
Notes on maltratar in the Negative Imperative
Maltratar is regular in the negative imperative, which is formed using the present subjunctive. The vosotros form is 'no maltratéis'.
Example Sentences
No maltrates a nadie.
Don't mistreat anyone.
tú
No maltraten a los animales en el circo.
Don't mistreat the animals in the circus.
No maltratemos a los débiles.
Let's not mistreat the weak.
nosotros
No maltratéis a los prisioneros.
Don't mistreat the prisoners.
vosotros
Common Mistakes
Mistake: Using the infinitive instead of the subjunctive.
Correct: For negative commands, use the present subjunctive: 'no maltratar' is incorrect; 'no maltrates' is correct.
Why: Spanish grammar requires the subjunctive mood for negative commands.
Mistake: Forgetting the 'no'.
Correct: Always include 'no' before the subjunctive verb form for negative commands.
Why: The 'no' is what makes the command negative.
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Related Tenses
Present
yo: maltrato
The present tense of maltratar (maltrato, maltratas, etc.) describes habitual or current mistreatment.
Preterite
yo: maltraté
The preterite of maltratar (maltraté, maltrataste, etc.) describes completed actions of mistreating in the past.
Imperfect
yo: maltrataba
The imperfect of maltratar (maltrataba, maltratabas, etc.) describes ongoing or habitual past mistreatment.
Future
yo: maltrataré
The future tense of maltratar (maltrataré, maltratarás, etc.) indicates a future action of mistreating or probability.
Conditional
yo: maltrataría
The conditional of maltratar (maltrataría, maltratarías, etc.) is used for hypotheticals ('would mistreat') and polite requests.
Present Subjunctive
yo: maltrate
The present subjunctive of maltratar (maltrate, maltrates, etc.) expresses wishes, doubts, or emotions about present/future actions.
Imperfect Subjunctive
yo: maltratara
The imperfect subjunctive of maltratar (maltratara/maltrataras/etc.) is used for past hypotheticals or wishes.
Affirmative Imperative
yo: maltrata
Use the imperative of maltratar for direct commands like 'maltrata' (tú) or 'maltraten' (ustedes).