Hola, ¿Cómo estás hoy? Espero muy bien.

Each week, I bring you tips, explanations, and mini-lessons to help you feel more confident speaking Spanish in the real world.

This week, we are going to discuss imperatives, how to give commands like "come here," "wait a minute," and "don’t speak so fast" en Español. Vamos 🙌🏼

Understanding Imperatives (English vs. Spanish)

In English, imperatives are simple. You just use the base form of the verb:

👉 No subject is needed, and the verb doesn’t change, no matter who you’re talking to.

But in Spanish, it works differently. The verb must be conjugated depending on who you’re talking to (tú, usted, ustedes, nosotros) and whether you’re giving a positive or negative command.

Check out this handy chart showing the imperative endings for regular -AR, -ER, and -IR verbs in Spanish, including positive and negative forms.

Let’s see the final conjugation for the verb HABLAR, COMER and VIVIR:

⚠️ Irregular Imperatives in Spanish

Some of the most commonly used verbs are irregular in the imperative form, especially with tú (informal) commands. Here's a list of the most important ones to memorize:

Let’s practice with 10 great examples of Spanish imperatives, mixing regular and irregular verbs, positive and negative commands, and different subjects (tú, usted, ustedes, nosotros).

1️⃣ ¡Habla más despacio!
➡️ Speak more slowly!
🧠 Regular / tú / positive – Common in conversation when someone speaks too fast.

2️⃣ No comas tanto azúcar.
➡️ Don’t eat so much sugar.
🧠 Regular / tú / negative – Health advice using a regular -ER verb in negative form.

3️⃣ Ven aquí, por favor.
➡️ Come here, please.
🧠 Irregular / tú / positive – One of the most common irregular imperatives from venir.

4️⃣ No digas eso.
➡️ Don’t say that.
🧠 Irregular / tú / negative – From decir, used to gently stop someone from being rude or inappropriate.

5️⃣ Pónganse de pie.
➡️ Stand up (everyone).
🧠 Irregular / ustedes / positive – From ponerse, often used in classrooms or group activities.

6️⃣ Hable con confianza, señor.
➡️ Speak with confidence, sir.
🧠 Regular / usted / positive – A polite way to encourage someone in a formal situation.

7️⃣ No se preocupe.
➡️ Don’t worry.
🧠 Reflexive / irregular / usted / negative – Formal and commonly used for reassurance.

8️⃣ Comamos juntos esta noche.
➡️ Let’s eat together tonight.
🧠 Regular / nosotros / positive – Inclusive “let’s…” form. Used for making plans.

9️⃣ No salgamos tan tarde.
➡️ Let’s not go out so late.
🧠 Irregular / nosotros / negative – From salir, shows how “let’s not…” is expressed.

🔟 Sean amables con los nuevos estudiantes.
➡️ Be kind to the new students.
🧠 Irregular / ustedes / positive – From ser, often used in community, school, or work settings.

🧠 Test Your Knowledge: Mini Quiz

Choose the correct form of the verb in each command:

1️⃣ ¡_________ (venir) aquí! (to a friend)
2️⃣ No _________ (tocar) eso, por favor.
3️⃣ Señor, _________ (esperar) un momento.
4️⃣ ¡_________ (levantarse), tienes que ir a la escuela!
5️⃣ _________ (hacer) la tarea antes de salir.

📥 Click here to take the quiz and check your answers

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Gracias por leer

Gracias por seguir aprendiendo con nosotros. ¡Nos vemos la próxima semana con más herramientas para hablar con seguridad!

Un abrazo,

Alejandro Nuñez
Founder & Director