How to Give Commands in Spanish: A Guide to the Imperative Mood

Giving commands is a fundamental part of daily communication, and in Spanish, this is done using the imperative mood (el imperativo). Whether you're telling a friend to "look!", asking a waiter to "bring the bill," or telling your dog to "sit," you'll need to master Spanish commands.While it might seem intimidating with its various forms, the Spanish imperative is logical and follows clear patterns. This guide will break it down step-by-step so you can start giving commands like a native speaker. ¡Vamos! (Let's go!)

What is the Spanish Imperative?

The imperative is a verb mood used to give orders, commands, instructions, and strong suggestions. It's the "bossy" mood. In English, we simply use the base form of the verb, like in 

• "Go away," 
• "Be quiet," or 
• "Listen to me."

In Spanish, the verb form changes depending on who you are talking to. The five main forms you'll use are:

• Tú (you, informal singular)
• Usted (you, formal singular)
• Nosotros/as (we, "Let's...")
• Vosotros/as (you, informal plural - primarily used in Spain)
• Ustedes (you, formal/plural)

Let's dive into how to form commands for each of these, starting with positive (affirmative) commands.

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Forming Regular Affirmative (Positive) Commands

Affirmative commands are used to tell someone to do something. The rules for regular verbs are surprisingly straightforward.

Tú (Informal 'You') Commands

This is one of the most common command forms. 

The rule is simple: use the third-person singular (él/ella/usted) form of the present indicative.

• For -AR verbs: Hablar (to speak) -> habla (Speak!)
• For -ER verbs: Comer (to eat) -> come (Eat!)
• For-IR verbs: Abrir (to open) -> abre (Open!)

Think of it as taking the regular tú form (hablas) and just dropping the final '-s'.

Usted (Formal 'You') Command

To show respect or formality, you'll use the usted command. The rule is to use the "opposite" vowel ending
1. Start with the yo form of the present tense (e.g., hablo, como, vivo).
2. Drop the final -o.
3. Add the opposite ending: -e for -AR verbs, and -a for -ER and -IR verbs.

Hablar -> hablo -> habl -> hable (Speak.)
Comer -> como -> com -> coma (Eat.)
Escribir -> escribo -> escrib -> escriba (Write.)

Nosotros ('Let's...') Commands

This form is used to make suggestions for a group you are part of, like "Let's eat" or "Let's talk." It follows the same pattern as the usted command but with a different ending.

1. Start with the yo form, drop the -o.
2. Add -emos for -AR verbs and -amos for -ER and -IR verbs.

Hablar -> hablo -> habl -> hablemos (Let's speak.)
Comer -> como -> com -> comamos (Let's eat.)
Vivir -> vivo -> viv -> vivamos (Let's live.

Vosotros (Informal Plural 'You') Commands

If you're learning Spanish for use in Spain, you'll need the vosotros form. 

This one is the easiest of all!
Simply take the infinitive, drop the final -r, and add a -d.

• Hablar -> hablad (Speak!)
• Comer -> comed (Eat!)
• Escribir -> escribid (Write!)

Ustedes (Formal/Plural 'You') Commands

This form is used when addressing any group of two or more people in Latin America, or a formal group in Spain. It follows the usted pattern

Simply form the usted command and add an -n.

• Hablar -> hablen (Speak.)
• Comer -> coman (Eat.)
• Escribir -> escriban (Write.)

Summary of Affirmative Regular Commands

Summary of Affirmative Regular Commands

Infinitive	Tú (you)	Usted (you, formal)	Nosotros (Let's...)	Vosotros (you all)	Ustedes (you all)
-AR Verbs
Hablar (to speak)	Habla	Hable	Hablemos	Hablad	Hablen
Caminar (to walk)	Camina	Camine	Caminemos	Caminad	Caminen
Cantar (to sing)	Canta	Cante	Cantemos	Cantad	Canten
Comprar (to buy)	Compra	Compre	Compremos	Comprad	Compren
Escuchar (to listen)	Escucha	Escuche	Escuchemos	Escuchad	Escuchen
Estudiar (to study)	Estudia	Estudie	Estudiemos	Estudiad	Estudien
Limpiar (to clean)	Limpia	Limpie	Limpiemos	Limpiad	Limpien
Trabajar (to work)	Trabaja	Trabaje	Trabajemos	Trabajad	Trabajen
-ER Verbs
Comer (to eat)	Come	Coma	Comamos	Comed	Coman
Aprender (to learn)	Aprende	Aprenda	Aprendamos	Aprended	Aprendan
Beber (to drink)	Bebe	Beba	Bebamos	Bebed	Beban
Correr (to run)	Corre	Corra	Corramos	Corred	Corran
Creer (to believe)	Cree	Crea	Creamos	Creed	Crean
Deber (to owe/should)	Debe	Deba	Debamos	Debed	Deban
Leer (to read)	Lee	Lea	Leamos	Leed	Lean
Vender (to sell)	Vende	Venda	Vendamos	Vended	Vendan
-IR Verbs
Abrir (to open)	Abre	Abra	Abramos	Abrid	Abran
Decidir (to decide)	Decide	Decida	Decidamos	Decidid	Decidan
Escribir (to write)	Escribe	Escriba	Escribamos	Escribid	Escriban
Permitir (to permit)	Permite	Permita	Permitamos	Permitid	Permitan
Recibir (to receive)	Recibe	Reciba	Recibamos	Recibid	Reciban
Unir (to unite)	Une	Una	Unamos	Unid	Unan
Vivir (to live)	Vive	Viva	Vivamos	Vivid	Vivan

Irregular Affirmative Commands

Of course, Spanish has irregular verbs, and they are very common in the imperative mood. The good news is that the most irregular forms are found in the tú commands. Many other forms simply follow their irregular yo present tense pattern.

The 8 Irregular Tú Commands

There are eight verbs with highly irregular tú commands. A popular mnemonic to remember them is: "Vin Diesel has ten weapons, eh?" (Ven, Di, Sal, Haz, Ten, Ve, Pon, Sé).

• Venir (to come) -> Ven
• Decir (to say/tell) -> Di
• Salir (to leave) -> Sal
• Hacer (to do/make) -> Haz
• Tener (to have) -> Ten
• Ir (to go) -> Ve
• Poner (to put) -> Pon
• Ser (to be) -> Sé

Note: The command for ir (ve) is the same as the command for ver (to see). Context will always make the meaning clear.
For usted, nosotros, and ustedes, many of these verbs still follow the "go to the yo, drop the -o, add the opposite ending" rule. For example, for hacer (yo hago): haga, hagamos, hagan.

Forming Negative Commands (Don't...!)

To tell someone not to do something, you use a negative command. The structure here is actually simpler because most forms follow one single rule.

The Golden Rule: All negative commands use the verb forms of the present subjunctive.

The structure is always: No + [Verb in Present Subjunctive]

• Tú: No hables (Don't speak), No comas (Don't eat)
• Usted: No hable (Don't speak), No coma (Don't eat)
• Nosotros: No hablemos (Let's not speak), No comamos (Let's not eat)
• Vosotros: No habléis (Don't speak), No comáis (Don't eat)
• Ustedes: No hablen (Don't speak), No coman (Don't eat)

Notice that for usted, nosotros, and ustedes, the negative command form is identical to the affirmative command form, just with "No" in front! The only forms that really change between affirmative and negative are tú and vosotros.

Where to Place Pronouns with Commands

This is a crucial step: what do you do with object pronouns (me, te, lo, la, nos, os, los, las) and reflexive pronouns (me, te, se, nos, os, se)?

With Affirmative Commands: Attach Them!

For positive commands, the pronoun is attached directly to the end of the verb.

• Compra el libro. (Buy the book.) -> Cómpralo. (Buy it.)
• Dime la verdad. (Tell me the truth.) -> Dímela. (Tell it to me.)
• Lávate las manos. (Wash your hands.) -> Lávate. (Wash up.)

Accent Rule: When you attach a pronoun (or two), you often need to add an accent mark to the verb to maintain its original stress. The general rule is if the new word has three or more syllables, the accent goes on the vowel that was originally stressed in the command form.

• compra (2 syllables) -> cómpralo (3 syllables, stress needs to stay on the 'o')
• di (1 syllable) -> dime (2 syllables, no accent needed)
• dime (2 syllables) -> dímelo (3 syllables, stress needs to stay on the 'i')

With Negative Commands: Place Them Before!

For negative commands, the pronoun goes between "No" and the verb. Nothing gets attached.

• No compres el libro. (Don't buy the book.) -> No lo compres. (Don't buy it.)
• No me digas la verdad. (Don't tell me the truth.) -> No me la digas. (Don't tell it to me.)
• No te laves las manos. (Don't wash your hands.) -> No te laves. (Don't wash up.)

Mastering the imperative takes practice, but it's essential for fluent, natural-sounding Spanish. Start by practicing with common verbs you use every day. Listen to how native speakers make requests and give instructions. ¡Practica todos los días y no te rindas! (Practice every day and don't give up!)

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