respectar Affirmative Imperative Conjugation
respectar — to concern
The imperative of respectar is regular: respeta, respete, respetemos, respetad, respeten.
respectar Affirmative Imperative Forms
When to Use the Affirmative Imperative
Use the affirmative imperative of respectar for direct commands or requests to someone. For example, telling someone to respect rules or another person.
Notes on respectar in the Affirmative Imperative
Respectar is regular in the affirmative imperative. Note the distinct 'vosotros' form 'respetad', which is common in Spain.
Example Sentences
¡Respeta las reglas!
Respect the rules!
tú
Señora, respete el silencio, por favor.
Madam, please respect the silence.
usted
Respetemos las opiniones de los demás.
Let's respect others' opinions.
nosotros
¡Respetad vuestros mayores!
Respect your elders!
vosotros
Todos deben respetar las señales de tráfico.
Everyone must respect the traffic signs.
Common Mistakes
Mistake: Using the infinitive instead of the imperative for 'ustedes'.
Correct: Use 'respeten' for 'ustedes', not 'respetar'.
Why: The infinitive is never used for commands; it needs to be conjugated according to the person being addressed.
Mistake: Confusing 'tú' and 'usted' forms.
Correct: Use 'respeta' for 'tú' and 'respete' for 'usted'.
Why: These are distinct forms that convey different levels of formality.
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Related Tenses
Present
yo: respecto
The present indicative of respectar is regular: respeto, respetas, respeta, respetamos, respetáis, respetan.
Preterite
yo: respecté
The preterite of respectar is regular: respecté, respetaste, respetó, respetamos, respetasteis, respectaron.
Imperfect
yo: respectaba
The imperfect of respectar is regular: respectaba, respectabas, respectaba, respectábamos, respectabais, respectaban.
Future
yo: respectaré
The future of respectar is regular: respetaré, respetarás, respetará, respetaremos, respetaréis, respetarán.
Conditional
yo: respectaría
The conditional of respectar is regular: respetaría, respetarías, respetaría, respetaríamos, respetaríais, respetarían.
Present Subjunctive
yo: respecte
The present subjunctive of respectar is regular: respete, respetes, respetemos, respetéis, respeten.
Imperfect Subjunctive
yo: respectara
The imperfect subjunctive of respectar uses -ra or -se endings: respectara, respectaras, respectase, etc.
Negative Imperative
yo: no respectes
The negative imperative of respectar uses 'no' + present subjunctive: no respetes, no respete, no respetemos, no respetéis, no respeten.