PRIMERO

What is the difference in meaning and usage between “tú” and “usted”?

Take hablar to the affirmative command and negative command.

Take ser to the affirmative command and negative command.

Commands charttú (informal) affirmative

tú (informal)negative

Usted (formal)aff.

Usted (formal) neg.

Ustedes (formal) aff.

Ustedes (formal) neg.

rules

example

irregulars

Commands charttú (informal) affirmative

tú (informal)negative

Usted (formal)aff.

Usted (formal) neg.

Ustedes (formal) aff.

Ustedes (formal) neg.

rules Regular él/ ella/ usted conjugation

Opposite tú ending (take from yo form)

example ¡Limpia tu cuarto!

¡No limpies tu cuarto!

irregulars Sally Diamond…

SIDES (no seas, no vayas…)

Commands charttú (informal) affirmative

tú (informal)negative

Usted (formal)aff.

Usted (formal) neg.

Ustedes (formal) aff.

Ustedes (formal) neg.

rules Regular él/ ella/ usted conjugation

Opposite tú ending (take from yo form)

Opposite usted ending (take from yo form)

Opposite usted ending (take from yo form)… add ‘no’

Opposite ustedes ending (take from yo form)…

Opposite ustedes ending (take from yo form)… add ‘no’

example ¡Limpia tu cuarto!

¡No limpies tu cuarto!

¡Limpie su cuarto!

¡No limpie su cuarto!

¡Limpien su cuarto!

¡No limpien su cuarto!

irregulars Sally Diamond…

SIDES (no seas, no vayas…)

SIDES (sea, vaya…)

SIDES (no sea, no vaya…)

SIDES (sean, vayan…)

SIDES (no sean, no vayan…)

Los mandatos formales

Informal commands refer to commands you give to your friends, siblings or younger members of your family – people you would generally address as «tú» in Spanish.

Formal commands refer to commands you give to your elders and people you don’t know – people you generally address as «usted» in Spanish. They can also be given to a group of people – the «ustedes» in Spanish.

Informal commands take a different form in the affirmative and negative. For example:–Speak Spanish!

¡Habla español!–Don’t speak English!

¡No hables inglés!

Fortunately, formal commands are much

easier!

Three (four) steps to making a negative informal command:

1. Conjugate to yo form. HABLO2. Take off the –o. HABL3. Add opposite tú ending.

HABLES4. Add “no”. NO HABLES

To make formal commands – affirmative or negative – the steps are the same with the exception of the ending.

Usted command:

1. Conjugate to yo form. HABLO

2. Take off the –o. HABL3. Add opposite usted ending

(add “no” if negative). (NO) HABLE

Ustedes command:

1. Conjugate to yo form. HABLO

2. Take off the –o. HABL3. Add opposite ustedes ending

(add “no” if negative). (NO) HABLEN

Remember… you’ve already seen formal commands!–Repetir:

¡Repite! (informal, tú)¡Repitan! (formal plural, ustedes)

Práctica parte I

Señor Romero, don’t run! Señora Morales, sing a Juanes

song! Lorenzo and Andrés, don’t shout! Antonio and Sara, climb the

mountain!

PRONOUNS!!

In an affirmative command, pronouns go after the verb and are attached to the verb itself. An accent must be added to the syllable where the original stress was. A strategy for remembering this is AAAA.

¡Escribe la carta – ¡Escríbela!¡Escriba usted la carta! – ¡Escríbala!

¡Escriban ustedes la carta! – ¡Escríbanla!

In a negative command, pronouns go before the verb. This is where they usually go!

No escribas la carta! – ¡No la escribas!

No escriba la carta! – ¡No la escriba!

No escriban la carta! – ¡No la escriban!

Práctica parte II

Señor Bernhart, don’t clean (the room)!

Señora Velazquez, sing (the song)! Lorenzo and Andrés, don’t read

(the books)! Antonio and Sara, climb (the

mountain)!

IRREGULARS!!

Usted Ustedes

SER (no) sea (no) sean

IR (no) vaya (no) vayan

DAR (no) dé (no) den

ESTAR (no) esté (no) estén

SABER (no) sepa (no) sepan

Práctica parte III

Señorita Lee, don’t give homework!

Señor Romero, be nice! Antonio and Sara, don’t be

late! Señorita Priest, go to the party! Señor Heinly, know the

answer!

When making a command, the subject is usually not needed because we know the command is directed at the people to whom we are speaking. But if you add it for emphasis, it will always follow the verb.

Ex.: ¡Coma usted la manzana!

In summary: ALL regular commands take the opposite ending of the person you are speaking to, with the exception of the affirmative «tú»!