Negative Commands in Spanish

In Brief

Form a Spanish negative command with no + the present subjunctive: No hables (“Don’t speak”), No coma (“Don’t eat,” formal), and No vayan (“Don’t go,” plural). Object and reflexive pronouns come before the verb: compare affirmative Hazlo (“Do it”) with negative No lo hagas (“Don’t do it”).

Overview

A negative command tells someone not to do something. Spanish uses these commands constantly: to give advice, set a boundary, warn someone, write instructions, or make a polite request. The central pattern is remarkably consistent: put no before a verb in the present subjunctive (a verb form used here to present an action as wanted or unwanted rather than as a fact).

Negative commands are normally introduced at B1 because they build directly on the present subjunctive. They also bring together several earlier skills: choosing the right form of “you,” changing verb endings, and placing object pronouns. English usually has one basic pattern—“don’t” plus a verb—while Spanish shows whom you are addressing in the verb ending: no hables for informal singular tú, no hable for formal singular usted, and so on.

The label “command” is broader than an order. Depending on the words and tone around it, No se preocupe may be reassuring (“Don’t worry”), No toque may be a firm prohibition (“Do not touch”), and No olvides llamarme may be a friendly reminder (“Don’t forget to call me”).

How It Works

The core pattern

The basic word order is:

no + pronoun(s), if any + present-subjunctive verb

• No corras. — Don’t run.
• No me esperes. — Don’t wait for me.
• No se lo digan. — Don’t tell it to him/her/them.

To form the present subjunctive for most verbs, start from the present-tense yo form, remove final -o, and add the opposite set of endings. In other words, -ar verbs use endings beginning with e, while -er and -ir verbs use endings beginning with a.

Person addressed	hablar	comer	vivir	English sense
tú	no hables	no comas	no vivas	don’t … (one person, informal)
usted	no hable	no coma	no viva	don’t … (one person, formal)
nosotros/as	no hablemos	no comamos	no vivamos	let’s not …
vosotros/as	no habléis	no comáis	no viváis	don’t … (several people, informal, mainly Spain)
ustedes	no hablen	no coman	no vivan	don’t … (several people)

Spanish normally omits the subject word because the ending identifies the addressee. Add it only when contrast or clarity calls for it: No lo haga usted; lo hago yo (“Don’t you do it; I’ll do it”). There is no ordinary first-person singular command: you do not command yourself with an I form.

Choosing the right form of “you”

Use tú for one person you address informally and usted for one person addressed formally or respectfully. In most of Spain, vosotros/as is the informal plural and ustedes the formal plural. Across Latin America, ustedes is the normal plural in both informal and formal settings.

This social distinction has no exact equivalent in modern English. Translating every form simply as “don’t” can hide an important choice: No pases addresses one person informally, whereas No pase addresses one person formally.

Stem changes and spelling changes

Negative commands preserve the changes found in the present subjunctive:

• pensar → no pienses, no piense, but no pensemos
• volver → no vuelvas, no vuelva, but no volvamos
• pedir → no pidas, no pida, no pidamos
• dormir → no duermas, no duerma, no durmamos

The nosotros forms of many -ar and -er stem-changing verbs return to the unchanged stem, while -ir verbs often keep a reduced change: pidamos, durmamos. Spelling changes keep the original sound:

• buscar → no busques
• llegar → no llegues
• empezar → no empieces
• seguir → no sigas

These are spelling adjustments, not new command rules.

Common irregular verbs

Because negative commands use the subjunctive, their irregular forms are the subjunctive forms too.

Infinitive	tú	usted	ustedes	Meaning
dar	no des	no dé	no den	don’t give
estar	no estés	no esté	no estén	don’t be
ir	no vayas	no vaya	no vayan	don’t go
saber	no sepas	no sepa	no sepan	don’t know / don’t find out
ser	no seas	no sea	no sean	don’t be
hacer	no hagas	no haga	no hagan	don’t do/make
poner	no pongas	no ponga	no pongan	don’t put
salir	no salgas	no salga	no salgan	don’t leave/go out
tener	no tengas	no tenga	no tengan	don’t have
venir	no vengas	no venga	no vengan	don’t come

The written accents in dé and forms such as estés follow normal Spanish spelling and also help distinguish some short words: dé is a verb, while de is usually “of” or “from.”

Pronouns go before the negative command

An object pronoun is a short word that stands for the person or thing affected by an action, such as “it,” “me,” or “them.” A reflexive pronoun shows that the action returns to the subject, as in “wash yourself.” With a negative command, all such pronouns stand between no and the verb:

• No lo compres. — Don’t buy it.
• No me llame. — Don’t call me.
• No te levantes. — Don’t get up.
• No nos vayamos. — Let’s not leave.
• No se lo cuentes. — Don’t tell it to him/her/them.

This differs sharply from affirmative commands, where pronouns attach to the end: Cómpralo but No lo compres; Levántate but No te levantes. When two pronouns occur, their normal order remains unchanged. A third-person indirect pronoun le/les becomes se before lo, la, los, or las: No se lo des (“Don’t give it to him/her/them”).

Examples in Context

Spanish	English	Note
¡No hables tan alto!	Don’t speak so loudly!	Informal singular tú
¡No comas eso!	Don’t eat that!	Regular -er verb
No cruces la calle todavía.	Don’t cross the street yet.	Warning; spelling change in cruzar
No olvides traer las llaves.	Don’t forget to bring the keys.	Friendly reminder
No lo hagas sin ayuda.	Don’t do it without help.	Pronoun before irregular hagas
No te preocupes por mí.	Don’t worry about me.	Informal reflexive command
No se preocupe, señora.	Don’t worry, ma’am.	Formal singular usted
No firme aquí, por favor.	Please don’t sign here.	Polite formal request
No entren después de las diez.	Don’t come in after ten.	Ustedes, plural
No se lo digan a Marta.	Don’t tell Marta about it.	Two pronouns before the verb
No vayáis solos.	Don’t go alone.	Informal plural vosotros, Spain
No dejemos todo para mañana.	Let’s not leave everything until tomorrow.	Negative nosotros proposal
No me llames mientras conduzco.	Don’t call me while I’m driving.	Pronoun between no and verb
No pongas los pies en la mesa.	Don’t put your feet on the table.	Irregular poner

Common Mistakes

Using the infinitive after no

• Wrong: No hablar tan alto.
• Right: No hables tan alto.
• Why: In a direct command to a particular person, Spanish normally marks that person with a subjunctive verb form. An infinitive may appear on impersonal public signs, but it is not the standard personal command pattern.

Using the affirmative tú form

• Wrong: No come eso. (intended for informal tú)
• Right: No comas eso.
• Why: Affirmative and negative tú commands do not use the same form: Come means “Eat,” but No comas means “Don’t eat.”

Attaching a pronoun to the end

• Wrong: No hazlo. / No hagaslo.
• Right: No lo hagas.
• Why: Pronouns attach to affirmative commands (Hazlo) but precede a negative command’s verb.

Mixing up tú and usted

• Wrong: No te preocupe.
• Right: No te preocupes. (tú) / No se preocupe. (usted)
• Why: The pronoun and verb must refer to the same form of address. Te goes with tú; reflexive usted uses se and a third-person verb form.

Forgetting a stem or spelling change

• Wrong: No empezes todavía.
• Right: No empieces todavía.
• Why: The form comes from the present subjunctive. Empezar changes e → ie, and z → c before e.

Usage Notes

Tone depends on context

A bare negative command can sound urgent or firm, which is useful for warnings: ¡No toques eso! To soften a request, Spanish can add por favor, an explanation, a term of affection, or a verb such as intentar: Por favor, no cierre la puerta (“Please don’t close the door”). Tone of voice matters as much as grammar.

Formal usted does not automatically make a command polite; it marks social distance or respect. No pase can still be a strict prohibition. Conversely, informal No te preocupes can be warm and reassuring.

Signs and general instructions

Public notices often use se prohíbe + infinitive (“… is prohibited”), prohibido + infinitive, or sometimes no + infinitive: Prohibido fumar; No tocar. These address the public impersonally. When speaking directly to someone, use a conjugated negative command: No fume aquí or No toque eso.

Regional forms

Vosotros commands are mainly used in Spain. Latin American speakers generally use ustedes instead, even with friends: No lleguen tarde. In regions that use vos for informal singular address, negative forms vary by region; no hablés, no comás, and no vivás are common voseo patterns in a number of countries. Learners should follow the forms used in the community they speak with rather than mixing regional systems at random.

Beyond the Basics / Advanced Use

No is not the only negative word

Other negative expressions can reinforce or replace part of the message, but they still occur with the negative-command structure:

• No digas nada. — Don’t say anything.
• No vuelvas nunca. — Never come back.
• No llames a nadie. — Don’t call anyone.
• No lo hagas tampoco. — Don’t do it either.

Spanish commonly uses this apparent “double negative”: no before the verb and words such as nada, nadie, or nunca after it. This is standard Spanish, not an error. If nunca comes before the verb, no is normally omitted: Nunca hagas eso (“Never do that”).

Negative commands versus reported requests

A direct command addresses the listener: No abras la ventana (“Don’t open the window”). To report or frame the request, Spanish often uses a main verb plus que and the subjunctive: Te pido que no abras la ventana (“I’m asking you not to open the window”). The second pattern is not grammatically an imperative, but it can sound less abrupt and is common in careful requests.

No vayas a + infinitive

The pattern no vayas a + infinitive can be a warning not to do something, often with extra concern or emphasis:

• No vayas a perder el pasaporte. — Make sure you don’t lose the passport.
• No vayan a llegar tarde. — Don’t go and arrive late / Make sure you aren’t late.

Its meaning is not simply “do not go to.” Context distinguishes the warning pattern from literal movement.

Negative nosotros commands

No + nosotros subjunctive means “let’s not …”: No discutamos ahora (“Let’s not argue now”). With reflexive verbs, the pronoun comes before the verb, just as in every other negative command: No nos sentemos aquí (“Let’s not sit here”). This contrasts with affirmative Sentémonos aquí, where the pronoun is attached and the final -s of sentemos disappears.

Practice Tips

1. Build positive–negative pairs. Say Habla / No hables, Hágalo / No lo haga, and Levántense / No se levanten. This trains both the verb change and the opposite pronoun positions.
2. Practise by addressee. Take one verb and give the same warning to tú, usted, vosotros, and ustedes: no corras, no corra, no corráis, no corran. Include the forms relevant to the region where you use Spanish.
3. Make realistic reminders. Write five commands you might use at home, work, or while travelling. Add one pronoun to each: No me esperes, No lo olvides, No se lo muestre.

Related Concepts

• Prerequisite: Present Subjunctive — supplies the verb forms used in every standard negative command.