Table of Contents

• What Exactly Is the Imperative Mood?
• Informal Commands: Talking to "Tú"
  • The Golden Rule for Regular Verbs
  • The 8 Irregular "Tú" Commands
• Formal Commands: Talking to "Usted"
  • The "Opposite Ending" Trick
• Plural Commands: Talking to "Vosotros/as" (Spain)
• Don't Do That! A Quick Look at Negative Commands
• Attaching Pronouns to Commands
  • 1. Positive Commands: Attach it!
  • 2. Negative Commands: Put it before!
• Let's Practice!
• You're in Command Now!

Spanish Imperative: A Beginner's Guide to Giving Commands

Ever wanted to tell a friend to "pass the salt," ask for directions, or follow a recipe in Spanish? If so, you're in the right place! You're about to learn about the imperative mood, which is the fancy grammar name for giving commands, instructions, and even friendly advice.

It might sound a bit bossy, but trust us, it's one of the most useful tools in your Spanish toolkit. By the end of this guide, you'll be able to tell people what to do with confidence (and politeness!).

Ready? ¡Vamos! (Let's go!)

The imperative mood is essential for everyday requests, from asking for the salt to giving advice.

What Exactly Is the Imperative Mood?

First things first, the imperative isn't a tense like the past or future. It's a mood. Think of it as the "command" setting for a verb. You use it when you're directly telling someone (or multiple people) to do something.

You'll see it used for:

• Commands: AbreOpen la puerta. (Open the door.)
• Requests: PásamePass me la sal, por favor. (Pass me the salt, please.)
• Instructions: GiraTurn a la derecha. (Turn right.)
• Advice: EstudiaStudy más para el examen. (Study more for the exam.)

In Spanish, the form of the command changes depending on who you're talking to. Let's break it down.

Informal Commands: Talking to "Tú"

This is the form you'll use most often with friends, family, people your age, and anyone you'd normally address as tú.

The Golden Rule for Regular Verbs

For most regular verbs, forming the informal tú command is surprisingly easy. You just use the same form as the 3rd person singular (él/ella/usted) in the present tense.

Let's see it in action:

• -AR verbs: hablar (to speak) -> él/ella habla -> ¡HablaSpeak!!
• -ER verbs: comer (to eat) -> él/ella come -> ¡ComeEat!!
• -IR verbs: escribir (to write) -> él/ella escribe -> ¡EscribeWrite!!

See? You already know this!

Examples:

• Compra el pan. (Buy the bread.)
• Bebe más agua. (Drink more water.)
• Abre la ventana. (Open the window.)

The 8 Irregular "Tú" Commands

Of course, Spanish loves its exceptions! There are eight common verbs that have their own special, short command forms. You just have to memorize them, but we've got a trick for that.

Here they are:

Infinitive	Tú Command	English
venir	ven	Come
decir	di	Say / Tell
salir	sal	Leave / Go out
hacer	haz	Do / Make
tener	ten	Have
ir	ve	Go
poner	pon	Put / Place
ser	sé	Be

Examples with irregulars:

• Ven aquí ahora mismo. (Come here right now.)
• Di la verdad. (Tell the truth.)
• Haz tu tarea. (Do your homework.)
• Ten cuidado. (Be careful. - Literally "Have care.")
• Ve al supermercado. (Go to the supermarket.)
• Pon la mesa, por favor. (Set the table, please.)
• Sé amable con tu hermano. (Be nice to your brother.)

Formal Commands: Talking to "Usted"

Choosing between the informal 'tú' and the formal 'usted' dictates which command form you use.

When you need to show respect—to an older person, a stranger, a boss, or anyone you'd call usted—you need the formal command. The rule is a little different, but it's very consistent.

The "Opposite Ending" Trick

Here's the three-step process to form a formal usted command:

1. Take the yo form of the verb in the present tense.
2. Drop the final -o.
3. Add the opposite vowel ending:
   • For -AR verbs, add -e.
   • For -ER and -IR verbs, add -a.

Let's try it:

• Hablar (to speak)

  1. Yo form: hablo
  2. Drop the -o: habl-
  3. Add -e: Hable
  • ¡HableSpeak más despacio, por favor! (Speak more slowly, please!)

• Comer (to eat)

  1. Yo form: como
  2. Drop the -o: com-
  3. Add -a: Coma
  • ¡ComaEat la sopa! (Eat the soup!)

• Escribir (to write)

  1. Yo form: escribo
  2. Drop the -o: escrib-
  3. Add -a: Escriba
  • ¡EscribaWrite su nombre aquí! (Write your name here!)

This trick even works for many verbs that are irregular in the present tense!

• Tener (to have) -> Yo tengo -> teng- -> tenga
  • Tenga un buen día. (Have a good day.)
• Poner (to put) -> Yo pongo -> pong- -> ponga
  • Ponga el libro en la mesa. (Put the book on the table.)

Plural Commands: Talking to "Vosotros/as" (Spain)

If you're in Spain and talking to a group of friends, you'll use the vosotros/as command. This is the easiest one to form!

Rule: Just take the infinitive (the basic form of the verb), remove the final -r, and add a -d.

• Hablar -> Hablad (Speak!)
• Comer -> Comed (Eat!)
• Escribir -> Escribid (Write!)

Examples:

• ¡Chicos, escuchad! (Guys, listen!)
• Bebed agua, que hace calor. (Drink water, it's hot.)

Whether following travel instructions or giving directions, the imperative is your guide.

Don't Do That! A Quick Look at Negative Commands

What if you want to tell someone not to do something? You need a negative command. The rules change a bit, especially for tú.

For now, let's focus on the most common one: negative tú commands.

Rule: It's formed like the formal usted command, but you add an -s.

• Hablar: (Usted command: Hable) -> No hables (Don't speak)
• Comer: (Usted command: Coma) -> No comas (Don't eat)
• Hacer: (Usted command: Haga) -> No hagas (Don't do/make)

Attaching Pronouns to Commands

Often, you'll want to include pronouns (like me, you, it, them) with your commands. The placement is key.

1. Positive Commands: Attach it!

With positive (affirmative) commands, the pronoun is attached directly to the end of the verb.

• dar (to give) + me (me) -> ¡Dame! (Give me!)
• comprar (to buy) + lo (it) -> ¡Cómpralo! (Buy it!)
• decir (to tell) + nos (us) -> ¡Dinos! (Tell us!)

Notice the accent on Cómpralo? Sometimes you need to add an accent to keep the stress on the right syllable. Just say it aloud, and you'll usually hear where the stress should be.

2. Negative Commands: Put it before!

With negative commands, the pronoun goes before the verb, and it's a separate word.

• No + me + des -> ¡No me des! (Don't give me!)
• No + lo + compres -> ¡No lo compres! (Don't buy it!)
• No + nos + digas -> ¡No nos digas! (Don't tell us!)

Let's Practice!

Time to test your new command-giving skills.

You're in Command Now!

Phew, that was a lot, but you made it! You now have the fundamental skills to give commands, make requests, and offer advice in Spanish.

Here’s a quick recap:

• The imperative is a mood for giving commands.
• Tú commands (informal) usually look like the 3rd person present tense (habla, come), but watch out for the 8 irregulars (ven, di, sal...).
• Usted commands (formal) use the "opposite ending" trick (hable, coma).
• For positive commands, attach pronouns to the end (dime).
• For negative commands, put pronouns before the verb (no me digas).

The best way to master the imperative is to use it. Try following a Spanish recipe, or practice telling your pet what to do. ¡Practica mucho y sé paciente! (Practice a lot and be patient!)