So you want to sound natural when telling your Spanish-speaking friends what to do? Forget formal "usted" commands – that's for business meetings and talking to your grandma. The real magic happens with informal commands Spanish style. I remember messing this up horribly during my first year in Madrid. Told my host mom "Siéntese" when I meant "Siéntate" – she laughed for five minutes straight. Mortifying.
The Bare Minimum You Need to Know First
- Affirmative tú commands: What you say when you want someone to DO something (¡Come! - Eat!)
- Negative tú commands: When you want them to STOP (¡No comas! - Don't eat!)
- Vosotros commands: For groups in Spain (¡Comed! / ¡No comáis!)
Why does this matter? Try buying tacos without knowing "Dame dos" (Give me two). Or telling your kid "No toques eso" (Don't touch that). Real-life stuff.
How to Make Affirmative Tú Commands Without Sounding Like a Robot
Honestly, this is where most beginners trip up. The rule seems simple: take the verb's present tense él/ella form. Hablar → habla (speak), comer → come (eat), vivir → vive (live). But Spanish wouldn't be Spanish without curveballs.
"Okay, so 'tener' should be 'tene', right?"
"Nope. Try 'ten'."
"Why?!"
"Because Spanish hates consistency sometimes."
"Nope. Try 'ten'."
"Why?!"
"Because Spanish hates consistency sometimes."
| Verb Type | Infinitive | Command | Real-Life Usage |
|---|---|---|---|
| -AR verbs | hablar (to speak) | ¡Habla! (Speak!) | Habla más despacio (Speak slower) |
| -ER verbs | comer (to eat) | ¡Come! (Eat!) | Come tus verduras (Eat your veggies) |
| -IR verbs | abrir (to open) | ¡Abre! (Open!) | Abre la puerta (Open the door) |
| Irregular #1 | decir (to say) | ¡Di! (Say!) | Di la verdad (Say the truth) |
| Irregular #2 | hacer (to do) | ¡Haz! (Do!) | Haz la tarea (Do homework) |
The Annoying Irregulars You Must Memorize
I won't sugarcoat it – these are a pain. But after teaching Spanish for 8 years, I've found students remember them faster when grouped by type:
- Single-syllable rebels: ser → sé (be), ir → ve (go), dar → da (give)
- Super common verbs: tener → ten (have), venir → ven (come), salir → sal (leave)
- "Go" changers: poner → pon (put), hacer → haz (do/make)
Memory hack: Make a ridiculous phrase with the first letters: Vin Diesel Has Ten Weapons, Eh? (Ven, Di, Sal, Haz, Ten, Ve, Pon, Sé)
Negative Tú Commands: Where Things Get Weird
This is where students' eyes glaze over. Affirmative commands use él/ella form? Forget that. For negatives:
- Take the yo form (como → I eat)
- Chop off the -o (com)
- Add opposite vowel + s: -ar → -es / -er/-ir → -as
- ¡No comas! (Don't eat!)
Watch out! Ir becomes "no vayas", not "no vas". I made this mistake asking a friend "No vas a la fiesta" meaning "Don't go to the party". He heard "You're not going to the party?" and showed up anyway. Awkward.
Negative Command Cheat Sheet
| Verb | Negative Command | When You'd Use It |
|---|---|---|
| hablar (to speak) | No hables (Don't speak) | In a library or movie theater |
| comer (to eat) | No comas eso (Don't eat that) | Seeing kid about to eat dirt |
| abrir (to open) | No abras la ventana (Don't open) | When it's freezing outside |
| ser (to be) | No seas tonto (Don't be silly) | Teasing a friend |
Vosotros Commands Explained (Because Spain Exists)
If you're only talking to Mexicans or Colombians, skip this. But for Spain travel? Essential. Affirmative is easy: replace -r with -d. Hablar → hablad (speak, you all). Comer → comed (eat, you all). But negatives? Brace yourself.
- Affirmative: ¡Hablad más alto! (Speak louder!)
- Negative: ¡No habléis! (Don't speak!) - Uses subjunctive form
My Spanish wife still laughs at how I told her whole family "No comáis" as "No comádis" for months. They thought it was cute. I died inside.
Why Informal Commands Matter for Daily Life
Textbook examples are useless. Here's where informal commands Spanish speakers actually use them:
- Cooking: Corta las cebollas (Chop onions), Hierve el agua (Boil water)
- Driving: Dobla a la derecha (Turn right), No estaciones aquí (Don't park)
- Parenting: Recoge tus juguetes (Pick up toys), No corras (Don't run)
- Parties: Baila conmigo (Dance with me), Trae más cerveza (Bring more beer)
Pronouns + Commands: The Final Boss Level
This trips up even intermediate learners. Where do you put "me", "lo", "te"? Rules:
Affirmative Command + Pronouns
ATTACH to end: Dime (Tell me), Cómelo (Eat it), Hazlo ahora (Do it now). But wait – add accent if needed: Prepáramelo → Pre-pá-ra-me-lo (4+ syllables).
Negative Command + Pronouns
PLACE BEFORE verb: No me digas (Don't tell me), No lo comas (Don't eat it), No lo hagas (Don't do it).
My biggest fail? Yelling "Levántate" (Stand up) to my dog in Spain. Put the accent wrong – said "Levan-tate" (meaningless). Dog ignored me. Spaniards laughed.
Real Spanish vs Textbook Spanish
Classrooms teach "correct" commands. But on Havana streets or Barcelona bars? Shortcuts rule:
- Drop the 's': ¡Di-me! becomes ¡Dimeló! (Tell me!) in Caribbean Spanish
- Vos instead of tú: In Argentina: ¡Vení! instead of ¡Ven! (Come!)
- Super casual: ¡Va! for ¡Vete! (Go away!), ¡Pásala bien! for ¡Pásalo bien! (Have fun!)
Controversial opinion: Strict grammar rules matter less than being understood. I'd rather say "No corras" incorrectly but stop my kid from running into traffic than say it perfectly while he gets hit by a car. Priorities.
FAQs About Informal Commands in Spanish
How do I know if I should use tú or vosotros?
Simple: tú = one person you're close to (friend/sibling). Vosotros = group of people you're close to (mainly Spain). In Latin America, use "ustedes" for groups even casually.
Can informal commands be rude?
Oh yeah. Saying "¡Cállate!" (Shut up!) to strangers? Fighting words. But "Calla un momento" (Be quiet a sec) to a friend? Fine. Tone matters more than grammar.
Are there shortcuts for learning commands?
Focus on the top 15 verbs people actually command others to do: say, go, come, do, put, have, be, give, leave, eat, drink, look, speak, listen, take. Master these first.
Why do some commands look like infinitive verbs?
In casual speech, natives sometimes say "¡Callar!" instead of "¡Calla!" (especially in Mexico). It's incorrect but common. Don't copy it until you're advanced.
How important are accents on commands?
Critically. "Dime" (tell me) vs "díme" (emphasized tell ME). Misplaced accent = misunderstood meaning.
Avoid These 5 Common Informal Command Mistakes
From correcting thousands of student errors:
- Using infinitive instead of command: "¡Hablar!" → should be "¡Habla!"
- Forgetting irregulars: "Hacer" → "Hace" (wrong) instead of "Haz"
- Mixing up affirmative/negative: "No come" → should be "No comas"
- Messy pronouns: "Dícelo" → should be "Díselo" (Say it to him/her)
- Saying "tú" in command: "¡Tú ven aquí!" → just "¡Ven aquí!"
Look, nobody masters informal commands Spanish overnight. I spent two years mixing up "dime" and "dígame". But when you finally nail "¡Espérame, no te vayas!" (Wait for me, don't leave!) – that's fluency magic.
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