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January 4, 2020 by Lindsay Brown Homeschooling, Spanish Grammar 2 comments

Ten Spanish Imperatives to Use with Kids

While telling our kids what to do is generally just another parental chore, teaching them to follow our instructions in Spanish can actually be fun! Giving commands in another language is possible through the use of Spanish imperatives. This type of verb conjugation tends to be a bit complicated with four separate distinctions, but here we simplify it to how you will speak to your child using one form, the tú form. Learning ways to use commands with your child will increase daily Spanish use, improve their listening skills, and enrich their lesson experiences with Spanish instruction.

Imperatives

In English, it is much more common to use the “soft imperative” that goes something like this: “Could you come here?” instead of blurting out, “Come here!” However, in Spanish, while the soft imperative can be used (¿Podrías venir acá?), it is much more common to hear the unsoftened version: ¡Ven acá! and it is not rude. Keep in mind for this article, we are using the tú form instead of the usted form.

Do or Don’t

Imperative verbs can be affirmative or negative. In order to make affirmative imperative, you use the 3rd person indicative form. This rule applies to all regular verbs. For example:

affirmative imperative in spanish

In order to make a negative imperative, you use the subjunctive tú form. For example:

negative imperative in spanish

 Now that you know how the imperative is formed in both affirmative and negative forms using any regular verb, you can practice using your favorite verbs with your child!

Irregular Verbs

The irregular verbs, however, do not follow a predictable pattern. They are many very useful verbs that are irregular in this sense and so they must be memorized. That is why our Top 10 Commands are all irregular!

Top 10 Commands to Use with Kids  

Here is a list of the top 10 most useful imperatives to use with your child:

top spanish imperatives how to conjugate

As you can see, the affirmative imperative form is irregular and you will simply have to memorize it and use it often with your little one to help them learn it, too. The negative imperative form is, as we learned above, made from the subjunctive tú form. Here are some ways to use your new command words in example instruction scenarios:

commands for kids in spanish

Some more useful phrases:

Recoge tus juguetes – pick up your toys

Bajate de allí – get down from there

Limpia tu cuarto – clean your room

Lava los trastes – wash the dishes

Vístete – get dressed

Improve with Imperatives

By teaching your child to follow your instructions in Spanish, they will be much more likely to use these words on their own. It will bolster their listening skills, improve their memory of commonly-used verbs, and it may just make your child love following instructions! Give your child a chance to use their new knowledge of imperatives with a native Spanish speaker by signing up for a free online class. Your child is guaranteed to speak Spanish after the first class!

Want more Spanish tips and lessons for kids? Check these out!

    • Author
    • Recent Posts
    Lindsay Brown
    Lindsay Brown
    Director of Content at Homeschool Spanish Academy
    Lover of words and a foreign language fanatic, I'm fluent in French and Spanish, with BA degrees in Linguistics, French, and Psychology, plus a TEFL certificate and 10+ years of teaching experience to boot. I blissfully share Spanish-learning tips, best-idea-ever travel advice, and at-a-glance cultural guides. When you can't find me writing spiritedly from my home office in Antigua, Guatemala, I'm probably outside playing games and exploring nature with my two bilingual kids.
    Lindsay Brown
    Latest posts by Lindsay Brown (see all)
    • Spanish Food and Cooking Words for Your Preschooler - January 10, 2021
    • Rooms in Spanish: Extensive House and Furniture Vocabulary - January 4, 2021
    • Celebrate Thanksgiving in Spanish! Vocabulary for Kids - November 19, 2020
    affirmative imperative commands for kids imperative conjugation negative imperative spanish grammar spanish imperatives
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    2 comments on this post

    1. William McDavid
      June 26, 2020

      I wish that someone would have introduced me to Spanish when I was a toddler.
      To try to learn in my 50’s is pretty difficult especially since I had never heard the language when I was a kid.

      Reply
      • Lindsay Brown
        June 29, 2020

        I feel the same way William! I started learning Spanish when I was 25 and it wasn’t an easy ride (it was still fun, though). Luckily, I started learning the language after I moved to Guatemala so I was immersed in it and that helped a lot. You should try to find a way to speak to native Spanish speakers and you’ll start picking up the language SUPER fast. I am certain of it!

        Reply

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