Affirmative Commands in Spanish

Overview

Commands (the imperative mood) let you tell someone what to do, give instructions, make requests, and offer advice. In Spanish, the form of the command changes depending on who you are speaking to -- a friend (tú), a group of friends (vosotros), a stranger (usted), or a formal group (ustedes). At the CEFR A2 level, mastering affirmative commands gives you the ability to give directions, follow recipes, and interact naturally in everyday situations.

Spanish affirmative commands are interesting because the informal tú commands are formed differently from all the other persons. While usted, ustedes, and nosotros commands borrow from the subjunctive mood, the tú command has its own simple rule. Once you learn these patterns, you will recognize commands everywhere in Spanish -- from street signs to cooking instructions.

How It Works

Tú commands (informal, one person)

For regular verbs, the tú command is identical to the third person singular present indicative:

Verb type	Present (él/ella)	Tú command	Example
-AR	habla	habla	¡Habla más despacio! (Speak more slowly!)
-ER	come	come	¡Come la sopa! (Eat the soup!)
-IR	escribe	escribe	¡Escribe tu nombre! (Write your name!)

Irregular tú commands

Eight common verbs have irregular tú commands:

Verb	Command	Memory aid
decir	di
hacer	haz
ir	ve
poner	pon
salir	sal
ser	sé
tener	ten
venir	ven

Usted commands (formal, one person)

Formed from the subjunctive: take the yo present indicative, drop the ending, and add the "opposite" vowel:

Verb type	Yo form	Usted command
-AR (hablar)	hablo	hable
-ER (comer)	como	coma
-IR (escribir)	escribo	escriba

Ustedes commands (formal/informal plural)

Same pattern as usted, but add -n:

Verb type	Usted	Ustedes
-AR	hable	hablen
-ER	coma	coman
-IR	escriba	escriban

Vosotros commands (informal plural, Spain)

Replace the final -r of the infinitive with -d:

Infinitive	Vosotros command
hablar	hablad
comer	comed
escribir	escribid

Nosotros commands (let's...)

Use the subjunctive nosotros form:

• ¡Comamos! -- Let's eat!
• ¡Hablemos! -- Let's talk!
• ¡Vamos! -- Let's go! (irregular -- not vayamos in affirmative)

Pronoun attachment

Object pronouns attach to the end of affirmative commands, and an accent mark is often needed to maintain the original stress:

Without pronoun	With pronoun
¡Escribe!	¡Escríbeme! (Write to me!)
¡Compra!	¡Cómpralo! (Buy it!)
¡Diga!	¡Dígame! (Tell me!)
¡Sentad!	¡Sentaos! (Sit down! -- vosotros)

Examples in Context

Spanish	English	Note
¡Habla más despacio!	Speak more slowly!	tú command
¡Coma la sopa!	Eat the soup!	usted command
¡Escríbeme!	Write to me!	tú + pronoun
¡Sentaos!	Sit down!	vosotros + pronoun
¡Ven aquí!	Come here!	irregular tú
¡Haz los deberes!	Do the homework!	irregular tú
¡Dime la verdad!	Tell me the truth!	irregular tú + pronoun
¡Pongan atención!	Pay attention!	ustedes command
¡Sal de aquí!	Get out of here!	irregular tú
¡Vamos!	Let's go!	nosotros command
¡Ten cuidado!	Be careful!	irregular tú
¡Compren los boletos!	Buy the tickets!	ustedes command

Common Mistakes

Using the infinitive as a command

• Wrong: ¡Hablar más despacio!
• Right: ¡Habla más despacio! (tú) or ¡Hable más despacio! (usted)
• Why: Spanish commands have their own conjugated forms. The infinitive is not used for commands (except in very informal written instructions like signs or recipes).

Using the present tense for tú commands of irregular verbs

• Wrong: ¡Viene aquí!
• Right: ¡Ven aquí!
• Why: The eight irregular tú commands have special shortened forms that must be memorized.

Forgetting the accent mark with pronouns

• Wrong: ¡Escribeme!
• Right: ¡Escríbeme!
• Why: When a pronoun is attached, the stress shifts. An accent mark is needed to maintain the original stress of the verb.

Mixing up tú and usted forms

• Wrong: ¡Hable más despacio! (to a friend)
• Right: ¡Habla más despacio! (to a friend)
• Why: Using the formal usted command with a friend sounds stiff and distant. Match the command form to your relationship with the listener.

Usage Notes

In Latin America, ustedes commands are used for both formal and informal plural situations since vosotros is not used. In Spain, vosotros commands are used with friends and family, while ustedes is reserved for formal contexts. In countries that use vos (Argentina, Uruguay, parts of Central America), the vos command forms differ slightly from tú commands -- this is covered in more advanced concepts.

Practice Tips

• Memorize the eight irregular tú commands. Use the mnemonic "ven di sal haz ten ve pon sé" -- say it as a chant until it sticks. These appear in conversation constantly.

• Give yourself instructions. Narrate your actions as commands: ¡Abre la puerta! ¡Enciende la luz! ¡Pon la mesa! This makes the forms feel practical and immediate.

• Practice with pronoun attachment. Take a command and add different pronouns: ¡Compra! → ¡Cómpralo! ¡Cómprame! ¡Cómpranoslo! Start simple and work up to combinations.

Related Concepts

• Prerequisite: Regular -AR Verbs -- Know present tense conjugation before learning commands