The Imperative Mood in Spanish
The imperative mood is used to give commands, make requests, or offer suggestions. It is a crucial part of everyday communication in Spanish.
Formation of the Imperative
Affirmative Commands
The structure of affirmative commands changes depending on the subject. In Spanish, the imperative is mostly used with "tú," "usted," "vosotros," "nosotros," and "ustedes."
Regular Verbs
- -AR Verbs: Use the third-person singular present tense form for "tú" and the subjunctive for other forms.
- -ER/-IR Verbs: Follow the same pattern as -AR verbs.
| Subject | -AR Verb: hablar | -ER Verb: comer | -IR Verb: vivir |
|---|---|---|---|
| Tú | habla | come | vive |
| Usted | hable | coma | viva |
| Nosotros | hablemos | comamos | vivamos |
| Vosotros | hablad | comed | vivid |
| Ustedes | hablen | coman | vivan |
Negative Commands
Negative commands use the subjunctive form for all subjects.
| Subject | -AR Verb: hablar | -ER Verb: comer | -IR Verb: vivir |
|---|---|---|---|
| Tú | no hables | no comas | no vivas |
| Usted | no hable | no coma | no viva |
| Nosotros | no hablemos | no comamos | no vivamos |
| Vosotros | no habléis | no comáis | no viváis |
| Ustedes | no hablen | no coman | no vivan |
Irregular Verbs
Some verbs have irregular forms in the imperative mood.
| Verb | Tú | Usted | Nosotros | Vosotros | Ustedes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| ser | sé | sea | seamos | sed | sean |
| ir | ve | vaya | vayamos | id | vayan |
| tener | ten | tenga | tengamos | tened | tengan |
| hacer | haz | haga | hagamos | haced | hagan |
| decir | di | diga | digamos | decid | digan |
| poner | pon | ponga | pongamos | poned | pongan |
| salir | sal | salga | salgamos | salid | salgan |
Examples of Usage
- Affirmative:
- Habla más despacio, por favor. (Speak more slowly, please.)
- Coma la ensalada. (Eat the salad.)
- Vivan en el presente. (Live in the present.)
- Negative:
- No hables durante la reunión. (Don’t speak during the meeting.)
- No coma eso. (Don’t eat that.)
- No vivas con miedo. (Don’t live in fear.)
Key Points to Remember
- The imperative mood is used for giving commands or making requests.
- Affirmative commands for "tú" are often the same as the present tense, while other forms use the subjunctive.
- Negative commands always use the subjunctive.
- Many common verbs are irregular in the imperative, so their forms must be memorized.
By mastering the imperative mood, you can effectively communicate commands, requests, and suggestions in Spanish!