To tell someone you address as usted to do something, use formal commands.

To form them, replace the final -o of the yo form with -e for -ar verbs and -a for -er and -ir verbs.

comprar: yo compro

comer: yo como

abrir: yo abro

no compre (don’t buy) no coma (don’t

eat) no abra (don’t open)

compre (buy)

coma (eat)

abra (open)

Abra la ventana, por favor.Open the window, please.

Verbs ending in -car, -gar, -zar, -ger, and -guir have spelling changes in their formal command forms.

No llegue tarde. Don’t arrive late.

sacar: saque (take out) no saque (don’t take out)

llegar: llegue (arrive) no llegue (don’t arrive)

organizar:organice (organize)no organice(don’t organize)

recoger: recoja (pick up) no recoja (don’t pick up)

seguir (i):

siga (keep going)

no siga(don’t keep going)

To tell two or more people to do or not to do something, add -n to the formal command form.

Muchachos, abran la ventana, por favor.

Ramón y Alfredo, no vean tanta televisión.

Some verbs have irregular formal command forms.

usted ustedes

dar: (no) dé (no) den (don't) give

ser: (no) sea (no) sean (don't) be

ir: (no) vaya (no) vayan (don't) go

saber: (no) sepa (no) sepan(don’t) know

estar: (no) esté (no) estén (don’t) be

For positive commands: attach to end, add accent (count 3 vowels back): Levántese Levántense Cepíllese Cepíllense Lávese Lávense

For negative commands: pronoun goes before command: No se levante No se levanten

No se cepille No se cepillen No se lave No se laven