The Imperative Mood (El Imperativo)
Commands in Spanish change depending on who you are talking to and whether you are telling them to do something or not to do something.
Who are you talking to? (The 3 Options)
1. Tú (Informal)
Used for friends, family, children, and people your own age. The most common way to give a command in daily life.
2. Usted (Formal)
Used to show respect to elders, strangers, or in professional business settings.
3. Vosotros (Plural)
Used when talking to a group of people informally. Note: Primarily used in Spain. Latin America uses “ustedes”.
Positive Commands (Do it!)
Let's look at the regular verb esperar — to wait.
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Tú:
¡Espera! Wait! / Wait here!
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Usted:
¡Espere! Wait! / Please wait. Formal.
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Vosotros:
¡Esperad! Wait! To a group. Spain.
Negative Commands (Don't do it!)
For negative commands, Spanish uses the present subjunctive endings.
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Tú:
¡No esperes! Don't wait!
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Usted:
¡No espere! Don't wait! Formal.
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Vosotros:
¡No esperéis! Don't wait! To a group. Spain.
What about Irregular Verbs?
Just like in English, the most commonly used verbs in Spanish are often irregular. Verbs like hacer, decir, ir, tener, poner, and venir have special command forms.
Example: hacer → ¡Haz! / ¡No hagas!
Master the Imperative: Deep Dive Lessons
A) Must-Know Irregulars
The top irregular commands used in everyday Spanish conversation.
• ¡Cuenta conmigo! — Count on me.
• ¡Hazme caso! — Listen to me. / Pay attention.
• ¡No te vayas! — Don't leave.
• ¡Ven aquí! — Come here.
• ¡No me digas! — You don't say! / Don't tell me.
B) The “Go” Verbs
Learn commands with verbs like tener, poner, salir, venir, and decir.
• ¡Ten cuidado! — Be careful!
• ¡No tengas miedo! — Don't be afraid!
• ¡Pon la mesa! — Set the table!
C) Reflexive Verbs & Pronouns
Learn where pronouns go in positive and negative reflexive commands.
• ¡Siéntate! — Sit down!
• ¡No te preocupes! — Don't worry!
• ¡Lávate las manos! — Wash your hands!
D) Phrasal & Idiomatic Commands
Learn natural Spanish command expressions that are used as fixed phrases.
• ¡Date prisa! — Hurry up!
• ¡Hazme caso! — Listen to me!
• ¡Échame una mano! — Give me a hand!
Continue Learning
Review the most important imperative patterns, then test yourself with a short quiz.