CONTENT
Los mandatos (commands) are used to give instructions or orders.
As you probably already know, in Spanish, there is the formal register and the informal register. Therefore, there are two types of commands: formal and informal.
Spanish
English
Cocina el desayuno.
Make breakfast.
Escriba su nombre aquí señor.
Write your name here Sir.
How to Use Informal Commands
Regla 1. Informal commands are used to tell anyone you would address as tú to do something. That is friends, close family members, etc. When using informal commands, it is not common to add the pronoun tú.
Spanish
English
(Tú) Come más lento.
Eat slower.
Informal Commands - Form
Rule 2. The form of informal commands is quite simple. Just conjugate the verb in the third-person singular (él/ella/usted) of the present indicative of regular verbs. In this example, let's use the verb correr:
| Subject Pronoun | Present Indicative Conjugation |
|---|---|
| él, ella, usted | corre |
| Subject Pronoun | Present Indicative Conjugation |
|---|---|
| él, ella, usted | corre |
To differentiate between an informal command and the third-person conjugation of the present indicative, pay attention to the conversation's context.
Spanish
English
Alejandra, contesta el teléfono, está suene y suene.
Alejandra, answer the phone, it keeps ringing.
How to Use Formal Commands
Rule 3. As you might imagine, formal commands are used to give instructionsto someone you would approach as usted. That is elderly people, authorities, customer service workers, etc. When using formal commands, it is common to add the pronoun usted.
Spanish
English
¿Usted come picante?
Do you eat spicy food?
Formal Commands - Form
To craft formal mandates, follow the rules below:
Rule 4. Conjugate the verb in the first person (yo) of the present indicative. Let's use the verb hablar as an example.
| Subject Pronouns | Present Indicative Conjugation |
|---|---|
| yo | hablo |
| Subject Pronouns | Present Indicative Conjugation |
|---|---|
| yo | hablo |
Rule 5. Drop the -o ending, and add the corresponding endings to each verb:
| Verb Type | To form a formal command add | Formal Command |
|---|---|---|
| Verbs ending in -ar such as cocinar | e, en | hable, hablen |
| Verbs ending in -er such as comer | a, an | coma, coman |
| Verbs ending in -ir such as escribir | a, an | escriba, escriban |
| Verb Type | To form a formal command add | Formal Command |
|---|---|---|
| Verbs ending in -ar such as cocinar | e, en | hable, hablen |
| Verbs ending in -er such as comer | a, an | coma, coman |
| Verbs ending in -ir such as escribir | a, an | escriba, escriban |
Spanish
English
Por favor hable a la farmacia, compre esta medicina. No pida que se lo envíen a domicilio.
Please call the pharmacy, buy this medicine. Do not ask for home delivery.
Commands in Negative Sentences
Rule 6. Forming negative commands is quite simple. For formal commands, just add a negative word before the command.
Spanish
English
No compre comida chatarra.
Do not buy junk food.
Rule 7. For informal commands, follow the same steps as to create affirmative formal commands, but in this case, add the following endings:
| Verb Type | To form negative informal commands add | Negative Informal Command |
|---|---|---|
| Verbs ending in -ar such as hablar | es | No hables |
| Verbs ending in -er such as comer | as | No comas |
| Verbs ending in -ir such as escribir | as | No escribas |
| Verb Type | To form negative informal commands add | Negative Informal Command |
|---|---|---|
| Verbs ending in -ar such as hablar | es | No hables |
| Verbs ending in -er such as comer | as | No comas |
| Verbs ending in -ir such as escribir | as | No escribas |
Commands with Pronouns
Rule 8. When using affirmative commands with pronouns, the pronouns are attached to the end of the verb.
Spanish
English
Compra el libro hoy en la tarde.
Cómpralo hoy en la tarde.
Buy the book today afternoon.
Buy it today afternoon.
Rule 9. Remember that double-object pronouns cannot be separated, and the indirect object pronoun goes before the direct object pronoun.
Spanish
English
Cómpraselo hoy en la tarde.
Buy it for him today in the afternoon.
Rule 10. To form negative sentences with commands and pronouns, add the negative word before the pronouns.
Spanish
English
No lo compre (usted).
No lo compres (tú).
Don't buy it.
Quiz
1/4
Change the following verb to make it an informal mandate
Llamar
0
correct answers.