Informal (tú) Affirmative Commands
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Formed by using the present indicative 3rd person singular conjugation of the verb. Stem changing rules apply.
escribir  escribe
Write your name.
 Escribe tu nombre.
abrir  abre
Open the door.
 Abre la puerta.
virar  vira
Turn your chair.
 Vira [Gira] tu silla.
mirar  mira
Look at the board.
 Mira la pizarra.
cerrar  cierra
Close your book.
 Cierra tu libro.
volver  vuelve
Try again.
 Vuelve a intentar [tratar].
venir  ven
Come here.
 Ven acá/aquí.
tener  ten
Be careful with the scissors.
 Ten cuidado con las tijeras.
poner  pon
Put the paper on my desk.
 Pon el papel en mi escritorio.
salir  sal
Go out of the classroom.
 Sal del aula.
hacer  haz
Do your own work.
 Haz tu propio trabajo.
ir  ve
Go to your seat.
 Ve a tu silla.
ser  sé
Be a good example.
 Sé un buen ejemplo.
decir  di
Tell your partner…
 Dile a tu compañero…(use with indirect object pronoun)
There are 8 EXCEPTIONS.
When using a direct, indirect or reflexive pronoun…tack the pronoun onto the end of the affirmative command and
add an accent (when necessary) in the appropriate place (usually the antepenultimate [3rd -to-last] syllable).
Listen to me.
 Escúchame.
Let me see your paper.  Permíteme [Déjame] ver tu papel.
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Behave.
 Pórtate bien.
Do it.
 Hazlo. (accent unnecessary because the stress is on the penultimate [2nd-to-last] syllable)
Put on your coat.
 Ponte el abrigo.
If adding more than one pronoun, the indirect precedes the direct. Accent will usually go on the 4th-to-last
[preantepenultimate] syllable. On one syllable commands the accent is on the antepenultimate syllable.
Explain it to your partner.
 Explícaselo a tu compañero.
Bring them to me.
 Tráemelos.
Give it to me.
 Dámelo. (da is a one syllable command)
Tell it to her.
 Díselo a ella. (di is a one syllable command)
Informal (tú) Negative Commands
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Formed by using and “no” and the 2nd person subjunctive conjugation of the verb. Stem changing rules apply.
Watch for phonetic spelling changes...which matter when writing the commands.
NOTE: Subjunctive is formed by taking the first person singular *“yo”+ of the indicative, removing the –o and
adding reversed endings (ie. –ar verbs use –e, -es, -e, -emos, -éis, -en and –er/–ir verbs use –a, -as,-a, -amos, áis, -an). Examples: hablar  hablo  hables, tener  tengo  tengas, escribir  escribo escribas
hablar  hablo no hables
escribir  escribo no escribas
hacer  hago  no hagas
poner  pongo no pongas
salir  salgo  no salgas
sacar  saco no saques
comenzar  comienzo no comiences
seguir sigo  no sigas
Don’t talk too loud.  No hables muy fuerte.
Don’t write on your desk/table.  No escribas en tu pupitre/mesa.
Don’t clown around. No hagas payasadas.
Don’t put your coat on the floor. No pongas tu abrigo en el suelo.
Don’t leave the classroom.  No salgas del aula.
Don’t stick out your tongue.  No saques la lengua.
Don’t start yet.  No comiences todavía.
Don’t continue [keep] doing that.  No sigas haciendo eso.
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There are 5 EXCEPTIONS, although only 3 that you would use. Estar carries an additional accent.
ir  voy no vayas
Don’t go outside.  No vayas afuera.
ser  soy  no seas
Don’t be mean.  No seas malo.
estar estoy no estés
Don’t be sad.  No estés triste.
saber  sé  no sepas
You probably would not command a child to not know something .
haber  no hayas
You would not use this verb as a command.
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When using a direct, indirect or reflexive pronoun…the pronouns precedes the negative command.
Don’t do it.
 No lo hagas.
Don’t tell your partner the answer.
 No le digas la respuesta a tu compañero.
Don’t forget to take it home.
 No te olvides de llevarlo a casa.
Don’t sit down.
 No te sientes.
Don’t worry.
 No te preocupes.
Don’t behave poorly in the hall.
 No te portes mal en el pasillo.
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If using more than one pronoun, the indirect precedes the direct.
Don’t tell me it.
 No me lo digas.
Don’t bring them (books) to me.
 No me los traigas.
Don’t give them (scissors) to him.
 No se las des.
Plural (Uds.) Commands
The majority of your commands are probably directed to the class as a whole. Most of you would most likely use the
Uds. command form for this. The formation of these commands, both affirmative and negative, is identical to the
Negative Tú Commands above. The only change is to the ending from –s to –n. All exceptions, stem changes, phonetic
changes and placement of pronouns are the same. Note: Be careful not to pluralize the entire sentence just because the
command is plural. When speaking to the class and the students are putting away only one marker, use Guarden su
marcador. If the students each have more than one marker out THEN you say Guarden sus marcadores. Therefore avoid
using Cierren sus libros unless each kid has more than one book on his desk that he is closing.