This page — Yo-go pattern
tengo, hago, digo, pongo, vengo, salgo and their connection to ten / no tengas, haz / no hagas, di / no digas.
Yo-go pattern + tú commands
Spanish Go Verbs & Irregular Tú Commands
Learn six high-frequency Spanish yo-go verbs — tengo, hago, digo, pongo, vengo, salgo — and see how they connect to two command patterns: irregular affirmative tú forms such as ten, haz, di, and negative commands such as no tengas, no hagas, no digas.
Three related pages, three different jobs
If you arrived here from another command page, use this quick map.
Imperatives — Grammar & Formation
Use this for the complete command system: affirmative and negative forms, persons, pronouns and formation rules.
Everyday Commands & Fixed Expressions
Use this for conversational chunks such as dime, venga, pasa, déjame pensar and other commands heard in real speech.
The useful pattern
1. Present yo-go form
The six core verbs have a present yo form ending in -go: tengo, hago, digo, pongo, vengo, salgo.
2. Affirmative tú: learn the chunk
ten, haz, di, pon, ven, sal are irregular affirmative tú forms. Do not try to mechanically build them from tengo, hago, digo...
3. Negative tú: the real yo connection
The irregular yo stem leads into the present subjunctive: tengo → tenga → no tengas, hago → haga → no hagas.
Why the yo form matters
For these verbs, take the irregular present yo form, remove the final -o, and use that stem for the present subjunctive. The negative tú command then uses the tú subjunctive form.
pongo → ponga → no pongas · vengo → venga → no vengas
Six core yo-go verbs + their tú commands
The six target verbs share a present yo form ending in -go. Their affirmative tú commands are irregular forms to learn as chunks; their negative commands connect directly to the present subjunctive.
8-command mnemonic: Ven · Di · Sal · Haz · Ten · Ve · Pon · Sé
Ve (ir) and sé (ser) are extra irregular tú commands; they are not yo-go verbs.
Ve (ir) and sé (ser) are extra irregular tú commands; they are not yo-go verbs.
| Infinitive | Present yo | Affirmative tú | Negative tú | Daily example |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| tener to have | tengo | ten | no tengas | Ten cuidado. Be careful. |
| hacer to do / make | hago | haz | no hagas | Hazlo ahora. Do it now. |
| decir to say / tell | digo | di | no digas | Dime la verdad. Tell me the truth. |
| poner to put / place | pongo | pon | no pongas | Ponlo aquí. Put it here. |
| venir to come | vengo | ven | no vengas | Ven aquí. Come here. |
| salir to leave / go out | salgo | sal | no salgas | Sal de aquí. Get out of here. |
Two more essential irregular tú commands: ve and sé
Ir and ser belong to the classic eight-command mnemonic, but they are not yo-go verbs. Learn their command forms separately.
ir: voy → ve → no vayas
Ve a casa. — Go home.
Ve a casa. — Go home.
ser: soy → sé → no seas
Sé paciente. — Be patient.
Sé paciente. — Be patient.
More yo irregulars: the affirmative tú command may still be regular
The broader -go family also includes forms such as traigo, caigo, oigo and valgo. Other yo irregulars, such as conozco, follow a different spelling pattern. In both cases, the affirmative tú command may still follow the normal él/ella present form, while the negative command uses the subjunctive.
| Infinitive | Present yo | Affirmative tú | Negative tú |
|---|---|---|---|
| traer to bring | traigo | trae | no traigas |
| caer to fall | caigo | cae | no caigas |
| oír to hear | oigo | oye | no oigas |
| valer to be worth | valgo | vale | no valgas |
| conocer to know / meet | conozco | conoce | no conozcas |
Quick pronoun reminder: affirmative commands attach pronouns
With positive commands, pronouns attach to the end of the command. For the complete placement and accent rules, use the Imperatives Grammar Guide.
Dime. Tell me.
Hazlo ahora. Do it now.
Ponte cómodo. Make yourself comfortable.
Negative commands put pronouns before the verb
With negative commands, pronouns come before the verb.
No me digas. Don’t tell me. / Really?
No lo hagas. Don’t do it.
No te pongas nervioso. Don’t get nervous.
Everyday examples with the target verbs
These examples reinforce the six target verbs. For a broader collection of conversational command chunks, use the Everyday Commands & Fixed Expressions guide.
TENER → ten / no tengas
- Ten cuidado. Be careful.
- Ten paciencia. Be patient.
- Ten confianza. Have confidence / Have faith.
- No tengas miedo. Don’t be afraid.
- No tengas prisa. Don’t be in a rush.
HACER → haz / no hagas
- Hazme caso. Listen to me.
- Hazlo ahora. Do it now.
- Haz lo correcto. Do the right thing.
- No lo hagas. Don’t do it.
- No me hagas reír. Don’t make me laugh.
DECIR → di / no digas
- Dime la verdad. Tell me the truth.
- Di algo. Say something.
- Dímelo. Tell me.
- No digas nada. Don’t say anything.
- No me digas. You don’t say! / Really?
PONER → pon / no pongas
- Pon atención. Pay attention.
- Pon la mesa. Set the table.
- Ponlo aquí. Put it here.
- Ponte cómodo. Make yourself comfortable.
- Ponte las pilas. Get moving / Get your act together.
- No pongas excusas. Don’t make excuses.
VENIR → ven / no vengas
- Ven aquí. Come here.
- Ven conmigo. Come with me.
- Ven a verme. Come see me.
- No vengas tarde. Don’t come late.
- No vengas con excusas. Don’t come with excuses.
SALIR / IR / SER
- Sal de aquí. Get out of here.
- No salgas solo. Don’t go out alone.
- Ve a dormir. Go to sleep.
- Vete de aquí. Get out of here.
- Sé paciente. Be patient.
- No seas tonto. Don’t be silly.
Quick phrase recap: the target verbs
Learn these as whole phrases. This is a recap of the target verbs, not a complete list of everyday Spanish commands.
Ten cuidado.
No tengas miedo.
Ven aquí.
Dime la verdad.
No me digas.
Hazme caso.
No lo hagas.
Pon atención.
Ponte cómodo.
Ponte las pilas.
Sal de aquí.
Vete de aquí.