11.1 Familiar commands

ANTE TODO

In Spanish, the command forms are used to give orders or advice.

You use tú commands when you want to give an order or advice to someone you normally address with the familiar tú.

You use the vosotros commands in parts of Spain for giving an order to more than one person you normally address with the familiar. (Most Spanish speakers use the Uds. plural commands.)

11.1 Familiar commands

Infinitive Present tense él / ella form Affirmative tú command

hablar habla habla (tú)guardar guarda guarda (tú)prender prende prende (tú)volver vuelve vuelve (tú)pedir pide pide (tú)imprimir imprime imprime (tú)

Note: If you include the subject pronoun, which is not necessary, it comes after the command.

Affirmative tú commands

11.1 Familiar commands Affirmative tú commands usually have the same form as

the él/ella form of the present indicative.

Guarda el documento antes de cerrarlo. (guardar)Save the document before closing it.

Imprime tu tarea para la clase de inglés. (imprimir)Print your homework for English class.

11.1 Familiar commands There are eight irregular affirmative tú commands that

must be memorized.

decir dihacer hazir veponer ponsalir salser sétener tenvenir ven

¡Sal de aquí ahora mismo! Haz los ejercicios.Leave here at once! Do the exercises.

11.1 Familiar commands Since ir and ver have the same tú command (ve),

context will determine the meaning.

Ve al cibercafé con Yolanda.Go to the cybercafé with Yolanda.

Ve ese programa… es muy interesante.See that program… it’s very interesting.

11.1 Familiar commands

Infinitive Present tense yo form Negative tú command

hablar hablo no hables (tú)guardar guardo no guardes (tú)prender prendo no prendas (tú)volver vuelvo no vuelvas (tú)pedir pido no pidas (tú)imprimir imprimo no imprimas (tú)

Negative tú commands

11.1 Familiar commands

The negative tú commands are formed by dropping the final –o of the yo form of the present tense. For –ar verbs, add –es. For –er and –ir verbs, add –as. (parar/prender)

Héctor, no pares el carro en el medio de la calle. Héctor, don’t stop the car in the middle of the street.

No prendas la computadora todavía.Don’t turn on the computer yet.

11.1 Familiar commands

Verbs with irregular yo forms maintain the same irregularity in their negative tú commands.

These verbs include conducir, conocer, decir, hacer, ofrecer, oír, poner, salir, tener, traducir, traer, venir, and ver.

No pongas aquel cederrón en la computadora portátil. Don’t put that CD-ROM in the laptop.

No conduzcas tan rápido.Don’t drive so fast.

11.1 Familiar commands

Note also that stem-changing verbs keep their stem changes in negative tú commands.

No pierdas tu licencia de conducir. (perder)Don’t lose your driver’s license.

No vuelvas a esa gasolinera. (volver)Don’t go back to that gas station.

No repitas las instrucciones. (repetir)Don’t repeat the instructions.

11.1 Familiar commands

Verbs ending in –car, –gar, and –zar have a spelling change in the negative tú commands.

sacar c qu no saques

apagar g gu no apagues

almorzar z c no almuerces

11.1 Familiar commands

The following verbs have irregular negative tú commands.

Infinitive Negative tú command

dar no dés

estar no estés

ir no vayas

saber no sepas

ser no seas

11.1 Familiar commands

¡ATENCIÓN!

In affirmative commands, reflexive, indirect, and direct object pronouns are always attached to the end of the verb. In negative commands, these pronouns always precede the verb.

NOTE: When more than one pronouns is used, the order is always RID. (Indirect before direct, reflexive before all.)

Bórralos. / No los borres.

Escríbeles un correo electrónico. / No les escribas un correo electrónico.

11.1 Familiar commands

¡ATENCIÓN!

When a pronoun is attached to an affirmative command that has two or more syllables, an accent mark is added to maintain the original stress:

borra → bórralos

prende → préndela

imprime → imprímelo

11.1 Familiar commands

¡INTÉNTALO! Indica los mandatos (commands) familiares afirmativos y negativos de estos verbos.

1. correr ____ más rápido. No ____ más rápido.

2. llenar ____ el tanque. No ____ el tanque.

3. salir ____ ahora. No ____ ahora.

4. descargar ____ ese documento. No ____ ese documento.

5. venir ____ aquí. No ____ aquí.

6. levantarse ____ temprano. No ____ temprano.

7. volver ____ pronto. No ____ pronto.

8. hacerlo ____ ya. No ____ ahora.

11.1 Familiar commands

The plural familiar command is the vosotros/vosotras command form. (This is not included in 11.1 in the text but is being included in this lesson.)

The affirmative vosotros/vosotras command is simply formed by taking the “r” off of the infinitive and adding “d.” – Hablar Hablad.

– Decir Decid.

– Comer Comed.

11.1 Familiar commands

However, if the verb is reflexive, take off the “r” of the infinitive and add “os.” * If the verb is a reflexive –ir verb, accent the “i.”

i.e. sentarse = to sit Sentaos

vestirse = to get dressed Vestíos

11.1 Familiar commands

NOT REQUIRED UNTIL WE STUDY

SUBJUNCTIVE:

The negative vosotros/vosotras command is the vosotros of the present subjunctive.

For –ar verbs the ending -éis.

– hablar No habléis. Don’t speak.– cerrar No cerréis. Don’t close.

For –er and –ir verbs is formed and adding áis.– Correr No corráis. Don’t run.– Decir No digáis. Don’t tell.

11.1 Familiar commands

Just as with the negative tú commands, reflexive, indirect object, and direct object pronouns go before the negative vosotros/vosotras commands.

Sentarse No os sentéis. Don’t sit.

Hacer No lo hagáis. Don’t do it.