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Commands in Spanish: How to form and use them?

By: Maria Leticia Temoltzin-Espejel Thu Mar 27 2025
Spanish
Imperative Mood

Commands are used to give orders and instructions, or to make requests and recommendations. They can be affirmative: ¡Ven aquí!(Come here!), negative: No tires basura(Do not throw garbage), formal: Pase usted(Come in), or informal: Abre la ventana(Open the window). Do you want to show who’s the boss when giving commands? Keep reading!

Table of Contents

    When are commands used in Spanish?

    Use commands (also known as the imperative) to give orders, instructions, to make requests, and to give suggestions or advice. For example:

    • Orders

      ¡Siéntate!

      Sit down!

    • Instructions

      Coloca las baterías.

      Put on (install) the batteries.

    • Informal requests

      Abre la ventana por favor.

      Open the window please.

    • Suggestions or advice

      Come frutas y verduras.

      Eat fruits and vegetables.

    Important

    When using commands to make requests, tone is important as they can sound rude or abrupt. In order to avoid this, there are other ways to make requests, usually in the form of a question.

    You can simply use the present indicative tense:

    ¿Abres la ventana por favor?

    Can you open the window, please?

    Or use a modal verb like poder(to be able to):

    ¿Puedes abrir la ventana?

    Can you open the window?

    To be extra polite you can use the conditional simple tense:

    ¿Podrías abrir la ventana por favor?

    Could you open the window, please?

    How to form commands in Spanish?

    Commands are formed differently depending on who you address. Commands can address “you” singular (formal and informal), “you all” (ustedes or vosotros), or “we” (nosotros). In some cases, commands have one form if they are affirmative and another form if they are negative, for example:

    • Affirmative

      ¡Canta!

      Sing!

    • Negative

      ¡No cantes!

      Don’t sing!

    Tip

    Recall that Spanish uses the upside down exclamation ¡ at the beginning of an exclamative sentence, and they are often used with commands:

    ¡Cierra la puerta!

    Close the door!

    • Subject pronouns are not necessary when using commands:

      • Lava el coche.

        (You) Wash the car.

      • Laven los platos.

        (You all) wash the dishes.

      However, subject pronouns can be used in two cases: for emphasis or as a form of politeness.

      • Emphasis

        Lava el coche tú.

        (YOU) Wash the car.

      • Politeness

        Abra usted la puerta.

        (Formal YOU) Open the door.

    • Object pronouns and reflexive pronouns are placed either attached to the command or before the verb depending on whether the command is affirmative or negative:

      Affirmative commands - pronouns attach to the command:

      direct object pronounindirect object pronounreflexive pronoun

      Disfrútalo.

      Enjoy it.

      Dile.

      Tell him/her.

      Lávate las manos.

      Wash your hands.

      Lávatelas.

      Wash them.

      Negative commands - pronouns go before the verb:

      negationreflexive pronoundirect object pronoun

      No te laves las manos.

      Don’t wash your hands.

      No te las laves.

      Don’t wash them.

    Click the link, to find further information on how to use commands with object and reflexive pronouns.

    Now let’s get into the details. ¡A leer!(Let’s read!)

    Informal commands

    In everyday interactions, the use of informal commands — those that refer to the tú pronoun — are more common. Their use shows familiarity and belonging to a group or community. Informal commands (aka tú commands) have one form if they are affirmative and another form if they are negative.

    Affirmative

    • Regular verbs

      These verbs have the same form as the él, ella, usted conjugation in the present tense: canta(sing), come(eat), escribe(write). Compare:

      Present tense of él, ella, usted

      él canta

      he sings

      Command

      ¡Canta!

      (you) Sing!

    • Irregular verbs

      There are a few high frequency verbs that have irregular forms and are one-syllable: ven(come), haz(do), etc.

      Find the complete list of one-syllable Spanish commands and examples. Also, check out a strategy for a fun way to remember these forms.

    Negative

    Negative tú commands have a different form than the affirmative. Here’s how to form them.

    • Regular verbs

      In order to form the negative tú command, take the verb form of tú in the present indicative and follow these rules:

      -ar verbs
      -er / -ir verbs

      Rule

      Replace -a with -e

      Replace -e/i with -a

      Example

      Present (tú)

      bailas

      you dance

      ⇣

      Negative command

      no bailes

      don’t dance

      Present (tú)

      bebes

      you drink

      ⇣

      Negative command

      no bebas

      don’t drink

    • Irregular verbs

      Some irregular verbs are formed using the yo form in the present tense.

      Rule: Drop the -o and add the ending -as.

      salgo(I go out) → no salgas(don’t go out)

      Find more Spanish irregular verbs here.

    Tip

    If you are familiar with the Spanish subjunctive, negative commands are formed using the tú form of the present subjunctive.

    • Quiero que tú comas.

      I want you to eat.

    • ¡No comas galletas antes de la cena!

      Don’t eat cookies before dinner!

    Important

    In some countries such as Argentina, Colombia, and most parts of Central America, there is a unique form: the commands with pronoun vos(you, sg.). They have different forms in the affirmative and negative. Here’s an example with the verb cantar(to sing):

    • Affirmative

      cantá vos

      you sing

    • Negative

      no cantés

      don’t sing

    To find out how to use the pronoun vos in Spanish, click the link!

    Formal commands

    Formal commands (aka usted commands) refer to the usted pronoun and are used in formal contexts with people that represent an authority: a professor, a boss, a doctor, etc. Oftentimes, these people come with a title, such as: señor / señora Rodríguez(Mr. / Mrs. Rodríguez), profesor Ramírez(professor Ramírez), etc. Formal commands are also commonly used with elder people. However, in some countries the use of the usted commands is less frequent with younger generations.

    To learn more about Spanish subject pronouns including the difference between tú and usted, check out our post!

    Usted commands have the same forms for affirmative and negative. Let’s see how they are formed.

    • Regular verbs

      Take the stem of the yo form in the present, and change the last letter according to the following rule:

      -ar verbs
      -er / -ir verbs

      Rule

      Replace -o with -e

      Replace -o with -a

      Example

      Present (yo)

      canto

      I sing

      ⇣

      Command (usted)

      (no) cante

      (don’t) sing

      Present (yo)

      escribo

      I write

      ⇣

      Command (usted)

      (no) escriba

      (don’t) write

    • Irregular verbs

      The previous rule also works for irregular verbs, except for a few exceptions like yo soy(I am) → sea(you are) and yo doy(I give) → dé(you give). Find the complete list of irregular verbs here.

      Important

      With some one-syllable commands, be careful to place a written accent since words like dé and sé change meaning if no written accent is used.

      dé = usted command of the verb dar(give) ≠ de = preposition

      sé = tú command of the verb ser(be) ≠ se = reflexive pronoun / indirect object pronoun

    ‘Ustedes’ commands

    Ustedes commands are used as the plural form for tú(you) and vos(you) in all of Latin America when addressing more than one person. They have the same forms in the affirmative and negative.

    • Regular verbs

      To form these commands, use the form of ustedes in the present and then follow the same rule in affirmative and negative forms:

      -ar verbs
      -er / -ir verbs

      Rule

      Replace -a with -e

      Replace -e/i with -a

      Example

      Present (ustedes)

      cantan

      you sing

      ⇣

      Command

      (no) canten

      (dont) sing

      Present (ustedes)

      bebes

      you drink

      ⇣

      Command

      (no) coman

      (don’t) eat

    • Irregular verbs

      Use the same forms as the usted command but add an -n at the end:

      Usted diga la verdad. → Ustedes digan la verdad.

      You tell the truth. → You (all) tell the truth.

    The same rule applies to the negative. Find a more complete list here.

    Tip

    If you are familiar with the subjunctive, ustedes commands have the same forms as the ustedes present subjunctive.

    • Quiero que ustedes vengan.

      I want you to come.

    • ¡Vengan acá!

      Come over here!

    ‘Vosotros’ commands

    Vosotros commands are only used in Spain. They are equivalent to the ustedes commands in Latin America — that is, “you” plural. These have different forms in the affirmative and negative.

    Affirmative

    Affirmative vosotros commands are formed by dropping the -r in the infinitive and replacing it with -d. Here are some examples with all three ending types:

    • ar verb

      cantad

      sing

    • er verb

      comed

      eat

    • ir verb

      escribid

      write

    Important

    With reflexive pronouns the -d is dropped before attaching the pronouns:

    Command

    sentad(sit)

    Reflexive pronoun

    -os → sentaos(sit down)

    Exception!

    Except with the verb ir(to go), where we keep -d:

    id(go)

    -os → idos(go away)

    Negative

    They are formed by dropping the -o ending of the conjugation of yo in the present tense and adding the corresponding endings.

    -ar verbs
    -er / -ir verbs

    Rule

    Drop -o and add -éis

    Drop -o and add -áis

    Example

    Present (yo)

    canto

    I sing

    ⇣

    Negative command

    no cantéis

    don’t sing

    Present (yo)

    como

    I eat

    ⇣

    Negative command

    no comáis

    don’t eat

    ‘Nosotros’ commands

    There is a type of command where speakers include themselves. These are the nosotros commands. They are used to make invitations or to do something together, and they're the equivalent of “let’s” in English. There’s no change when the command is negative.

    • Regular verbs

      Use the conjugation of the nosotros form in the present and replace one letter:

      -ar verbs
      -er / -ir verbs

      Rule

      Replace -a with -e

      Replace -e/i with -a

      Example

      Present (nosotros)

      bailas

      you dance

      ⇣

      Command

      (no) bailemos

      let’s (not) dance

      Present (nosotros)

      comemos

      we drink

      ⇣

      Command

      (no) comamos

      let’s (not) eat

      Present (nosotros)

      escribimos

      we write

      ⇣

      Command

      (no) escribamos

      let’s (not) write

      Important

      When a nosotros command is followed by se in a double object pronoun construction, or the reflexive nos, the final “s” of the command is dropped before adding “se” or “nos” :

      digamos + selo

      →

      digámoselo

      let’s say it to him

      levantemos + nos

      →

      levantémonos

      let’s get up

    • Irregular verbs

      Irregular nosotros commands are formed with the conjugation of yo in the present.

      Rule: Drop the -o and replace with -amos in both affirmative and negative commands.

      salgo(I go out) → no salgamos hoy(let’s not go out today)

      Find more irregular conjugations here.

    Tip

    If you are familiar with the subjunctive, nosotros commands have the same forms as the nosotros present subjunctive.

    • Sugiero que vayamos antes de que cierren.

      I suggest we go before they close.

    • ¡Vayamos al cine!

      Let’s go to the movies!

    Important

    Nosotros commands are usually replaced by phrases like vamos a + infinitive ("let’s" + infinitive) or a + infinitive ("let’s" + infinitive):

    ¡Comamos!

    →

    Let's eat!

    ¡Vamos a comer!
    ¡A comer!

    To sum up

    • Commands are used when giving orders, instructions, requests, or recommendations.

    • The singular “you” form can be formal (usted) or informal ( tú or vos).

    • The forms for tú and vosotros have one form in the negative and another in the affirmative.

    • Object and reflexive pronouns go in front of the verb if the command is negative or attached to the command if affirmative.

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