respirar Affirmative Imperative Conjugation
respirar — to breathe
Use the imperative of respirar for direct commands: respira (tú), respire (usted), respiremos (nosotros), respiren (ustedes), respirad (vosotros).
respirar Affirmative Imperative Forms
When to Use the Affirmative Imperative
The imperative is used for direct commands. For respirar, you'd use it to tell someone to breathe, like instructing someone to take a deep breath or to calm down.
Notes on respirar in the Affirmative Imperative
Respirar is regular in the imperative. Note the tú form 'respira' is identical to the él/ella/usted present indicative form.
Example Sentences
¡Respira hondo!
Breathe deeply!
tú
Respire con calma, por favor.
Breathe calmly, please.
usted
Respiremos juntos.
Let's breathe together.
nosotros
Respiren profundo.
Breathe deeply.
ustedes
Vosotros, respirad tranquilamente.
You all (vosotros), breathe calmly.
vosotros
Common Mistakes
Mistake: Using the present indicative instead of the imperative for commands.
Correct: For a command like 'Breathe!', use '¡Respira!' (tú) not '¡Respiras!'.
Why: The imperative mood is specifically for commands, while the present indicative describes current actions.
Mistake: Confusing 'respira' (tú imperative) with 'respira' (él/ella/usted present indicative).
Correct: Context is key. 'Tú respira hondo' is a command, while 'Él respira hondo' describes someone breathing deeply.
Why: While the forms are identical, their function and meaning differ based on the context and intended meaning.
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Related Tenses
Present
yo: respiro
The present tense of respirar (respiro) describes habitual actions, things happening now, and general truths.
Preterite
yo: respiré
The preterite of respirar (respiré) indicates completed past actions.
Imperfect
yo: respiraba
The imperfect tense of respirar (respiraba) describes ongoing or habitual past actions and sets the scene.
Future
yo: respiraré
The future tense of respirar (respiraré) indicates actions that will happen or expresses probability.
Conditional
yo: respiraría
The conditional of respirar (respiraría) expresses hypotheticals ('would breathe'), polite requests, or future-in-the-past.
Present Subjunctive
yo: respire
The present subjunctive of respirar (respire) is used for wishes, doubts, emotions, and after certain conjunctions.
Imperfect Subjunctive
yo: respirara
The imperfect subjunctive of respirar (respirara/respirase) expresses past hypotheticals, wishes, or doubts.
Negative Imperative
yo: no respires
Negative commands for respirar use the present subjunctive: no respires (tú), no respire (usted), no respiremos (nosotros), no respiren (ustedes), no respiréis (vosotros).