How to Form Negative and Affirmative Commands in Spanish
How many times a day do you give or receive commands?
Pass me the book, please.
Sit.
Be careful.
Call me.
Tell me when you’re ready.
Don’t bother.
Don’t worry.
Quite often, isn’t it? That’s why knowing how to form both negative and affirmative commands in Spanish is an essential task.
In this blog post, I’ll explain the types of commands that exist in Spanish and how to form them. You’ll learn formal and informal affirmative and negative commands in both regular and irregular forms.
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Keep reading.
Table of Contents:
- What Is the Imperative Mood in Spanish?
- Types of Commands in Spanish
- Informal Commands in Spanish
- Formal Commands in Spanish
- Nosotros Commands (Affirmative and Negative)
- Spanish Commands and Pronouns
- Start Using Commands in Spanish Right Now!
What Is the Imperative Mood in Spanish?
When giving commands, you’re using the imperative mood. It’s one of the three Spanish moods, along with indicative and subjunctive.
You use the imperative mood in Spanish to tell somebody what to do or give an order.
¡Siéntate!
Sit down!
However, you’ll also use it to make a request or even to apologize.
Llámame, por favor.
Call me, please.
Disculpe, ¿puedo decir algo?
Excuse me, can I say something?
It also works just to call someone’s attention.
Oye, se me acaba de ocurrir algo.
Hey, I just thought of something.
Mira, te puedo hacer una oferta.
Look, I can make you an offer.
Useful, isn’t it? Let’s take a look at commands to use in different situations.
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Types of Commands in Spanish
There are three main types of Spanish commands that you should know how to use according to how well you know the person you’re speaking to and depending on what you want to express.
- Informal commands
- Formal commands
- Nosotros commands
Informal Commands in Spanish
You use informal commands with people you know well, like family members and friends, or with kids and teenagers.
Informal Affirmative Commands
Informal affirmative commands are the easiest to start with. If you know the present indicative tense, you’ll get it immediately. You just need to use the third-person singular form.
Estudia más.
Study more.
Habla despacio.
Speak slowly.
Maneja con cuidado.
Drive carefully.
As you can see, the regular -ar verbs always have the informal affirmative commands end in -a. The -ir and -er verbs affirmative tú commands end in -e.
Hablar – to speak
informal affirmative command: habl + a
Habla más alto, por favor.
Speak up, please.
Vivir – to live
informal negative command: viv + e
¡Vive feliz!
Live happily!
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Comer – to eat
informal negative command: com + e
Come muchos vegetales.
Eat lots of vegetables.
Irregular Informal Affirmative Commands
Some verbs present the irregular forms of the imperative mood that are the same as the irregularities they have in the present tense. For example, the word pensar (to think) has the same e-ie irregularity as in the present indicative.
¡Piensa en tus hijos!
Think about your kids!
However, there are eight verbs that are totally irregular in the imperative affirmative forms:
Irregular Affirmative Tú Commands
| Infinitive | Irregular Informal Imperative |
| ser (to be) | sé |
| decir (to say) | di |
| hacer (to do) | haz |
| ir (to go) | ve |
| poner (to put) | pon |
| salir (to leave) | sal |
| venir (to come) | ven |
| tener (to have) | ten |
Example Sentences in Spanish
¡Sé tú mismo!
Be yourself!
¡Di la verdad!
Tell the truth
¡Ten paciencia!
Be patient!
Want to learn more?
Read Common Irregular Informal Commands in Spanish.
Informal Negative Commands
Informal negative commands use the second-person singular form of the present subjunctive. But don’t worry if you don’t know this mood yet, it’s not that complicated with regular verbs. You’ll just need to switch the endings of the -ar verbs conjugation with the -ir and -er conjugations.
For -ar verbs, just use the second person present tense -es ending that normally goes with the -ir and -er verbs in the present indicative tense.
Hablar – to speak
informal negative command: no habl + es
No hables tan alto.
Don’t talk so loud.
For -er and -ir verbs use -as, the usual -ar verbs second person present tense indicative ending.
Vivir – to live
informal negative command: no viv + as
No vivas así.
Don’t live like this.
Comer – to eat
informal negative command: no com + as
¡No comas esto!
Don’t drink this!
The irregular negative commands are the same verbs that have the irregular subjunctive form. Here are the most common ones:
Irregular Negative Tú Commands
| Infinitive | Irregular Informal Imperative |
| ser (to be) | no seas |
| decir (to say) | no digas |
| hacer (to do) | no hagas |
| ir (to go) | no vayas |
| poner (to put) | no pongas |
| salir (to leave) | no salgas |
| venir (to come) | no vengas |
| tener (to have) | no tengas |
Example Sentences in Spanish
¡No seas tonto!
Don’t be stupid!
¡No vayas ahí!
Don’t go there!
Formal Commands in Spanish
You’ll use formal commands in Spanish to give commands to people who you’re not friends with, older than you, and in any formal setting.
In Latin America, the plural formal commands are also used in informal settings, simply for any group of people. You’ll use the present subjunctive forms both for affirmative and negative formal commands.
Formal Affirmative Commands
Formal regular negative commands are easy even if you aren’t familiar with the subjunctive mood. As with the informal negative commands, all you need to do is switch the vowels.
For -ar verbs, the process is simple.
Cut off the infinitive -ar ending and add to the stem the third person present indicative tense -e ending for the -ir and –er verbs. For plural commands, add -en.
Hablar – to speak
Singular formal affirmative command: habl + e
Plural formal affirmative command: habl + en
Hable conmigo señor.
Talk to me, sir.
Hablen despacio chicos.
Speak slowly, guys.
For -er and -ir verbs, first cut the infinitive ending: -ir or -er, Then, add -a to the stem for commands in singular and -an for plural commands.
Vivir – to live
Singular formal affirmative command: viv + a
Plural formal affirmative command: viv + an
Viva con moderación.
Live in moderation.
Vivan felices.
Live happily.
Comer – to eat
Singular formal affirmative command: com + a
Plural formal affirmative command: com + an
Coma lo que quiera, señora.
Eat what you want ma’am.
¡Coman señores y diviértanse!
Eat up gentlemen and have fun!
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Formal Negative Commands
You’ll use the same subjunctive forms for formal negative commands. Just add the “no” before the verb.
No hable tan alto.
Don’t talk so loud.
No hablen tan rápido.
Don’t talk so fast.
No vivan así.
Don’t live like this.
No coman esto, por favor.
Don’t eat this, please.
No coma tanto azúcar, señor.
Don’t eat so much sugar, sir.
Remember, that the imperative mood in Spanish is for direct commands and orders, which aren’t always well received. To sound more polite, it’s preferable to use the conditional tense.
¿Podría explicarmelo, por favor?
Could you explain it to me, please?
How to Say Could, Would, and Should in Spanish?
Get the facts on the Conditional Tense. ➡️
Irregular Formal Commands
The irregular formal commands are the same that have the irregular subjunctive form. Here are the most common ones you should memorize:
| Infinitive | Irregular Formal Imperative Forms |
| estar (to be) | esté, estén |
| ser (to be) | sea, sean |
| dar (to give) | dé, den |
| decir (to say) | diga, digan |
| hacer (to do) | haga, hagan |
| ir (to go) | vaya, vayan |
| poner (to put) | ponga, pongan |
| salir (to leave) | salga, salgan |
| venir (to come) | venga, vengan |
| tener (to have) | tenga, tengan |
Example Sentences in Spanish
No sean así.
Don’t be like this.
Esté seguro que lo vamos a cuidar.
Be sure that we will take care of you.
Vayan con dios.
Go with god. (a typical farewell)
Dé me más tiempo.
Give me more time.
Nosotros Commands (Affirmative and Negative)
Nosotros commands are the commands that are given to a group of people that includes the speaker. They are more of a suggestion than a command.
Nosotros commands also use the present subjunctive forms.
For the -ar verbs, cut off the infinitive -ar ending and just add to the stem the first person present plural subjunctive ending -emos.
Hablar – to speak
Nosotros command: habl + emos
Hablemos.
Let’s talk.
For -er and -ir verbs, first cut the infinitive ending and add -amos to the stem.
Vivir – to live
Nosotros command: : viv + amos
Vivamos juntos en paz.
Let’s live together in peace.
Comer – to eat
Nosotros command: com + amos
Comamos afuera.
Let’s eat out.
For the negative commands, just add the no before the verb.
No comamos aquí.
Let’s not eat here.
No hablemos de esto.
Let’s not talk about this.
No vivamos con miedo.
Let’s not live in fear.
The irregular nosotros commands are the same verbs that have the irregular subjunctive form, but the verb ir (to go) uses the present indicative form of the verb instead of the subjunctive form for the affirmative commands.
For the negative nosotros commands, use the subjunctive form.
Vámonos.
Let’s go.
No vayamos ahí.
Let’s not go there.
If you have any problems with remembering the correct imperative form of a verb you need, you can check it in the Diccionario de la Real Academia (Dictionary of the Royal Spanish Academy). Just put the verb in the search box and then click on the blue box that says conjugar that will take you to the conjugation charts. Spanish commands are in the Imperativo section at the bottom of the page.
Spanish Commands and Pronouns
How to use pronouns and commands is another topic that I explore in another blog post (see just below).
¡Enséñamelo! (Show me!)
Learn more about How to Use Object Pronouns In Spanish Commands. ➡️
Here’s a quick summary of the most important points:
If the command is affirmative, attach the pronouns at the end of the imperative.
It works for
With double pronouns, don’t forget to add a written accent to the second to last syllable of the command verb. You should also do it if you only add one pronoun, but the imperative verb itself is two syllables or longer.
Hazlo. (direct object pronoun)
Do it.
Háblame. (indirect object pronoun)
Talk to me.
Prepárate. (reflexive pronoun)
Prepare yourself.
Léemelo. (double object pronoun)
Read it to me.
With negative commands, it’s even easier. Just put the pronouns in front of the imperative, and they come as separate words, so no need to worry about accents.
No lo hagas. (direct object pronoun)
Don’t do it.
No me hables. (indirect object pronoun)
Don’t talk to me.
No te prepares todavía. (reflexive pronoun)
Don’t get ready yet.
No me lo leas. (double object pronoun)
Don’t read it to me.
Start Using Commands in Spanish Right Now!
Affirmative and negative commands in Spanish are not difficult to learn, but it will take you some time if you plan to master the irregular forms or the use of pronouns.
Consistency is crucial, and you need to study and practice regularly. It can be difficult to find the initial motivation, so be sure to make your goals clear to yourself first. Why do you want to learn Spanish?
I’m sure that traveling easily to Spanish-speaking countries is already on your mind, but think about other benefits, too. Did you know that knowing another language can bring you a pay rise? According to a study conducted by The Economist, a person can earn anywhere from $50,000 to $125,000!
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Why can’t you just use yes and no like in English? Why are there so many ways to say yes and no to something in Spanish?
Hello!
When it comes to commands in Spanish, it isn’t about ‘yes’ or ‘no’. It is about when to do something and when not to. The verb changes in Spanish, depending on if it is in affirmative or negative form.
I hope you find this useful! Have a good day.