1. Formal and Familiar Direct
Commands, Suggestion Commands, and Indirect
Commands
2. Formal direct commands are formed by
adding the third person singular and plural
(Usted and Ustedes) endings of the present
subjunctive to the first person singular form
(yo form) of the present indicative after
dropping the -o.
Examples: Hablar (to speak) – Hablo (I speak)
– Hable (Speak)
Comer (to eat) – Como (I eat) – Coma (Eat)
Vivir (to live) – Vivo (I live) – Viva (Live)
3. Examples in sentences:
Eat cereal in the morning.
Coma cereal en la mañana.
Don’t dance more than two hours.
No baile más de dos horas.
4. Irregularities and stem changes in the first
person singular (yo) form of the present tense
usually remain in the command form.
Example: Sleep at least eight hours.
Dormir (to sleep) – Duermo (I sleep)
Duerma por lo menos ocho horas.
5. If an object pronoun is involved, it attaches to
an affirmative command and precedes a
negative one.
Examples: Tell me the truth.
Dígame la verdad.
Don’t tell me that you don’t know.
No me diga que no sabes.
6. If both an indirect and direct object pronoun
are used, they attach to the affirmative
command with the IOP coming before the
DOP, and a diacritical mark is added to the
command.
Example: Give it (masculine) to me.
Démelo.
Give it (masculine) to him/her/you/them.
Déselo.
Give it (masculine) to us.
Dénoslo.
7. The following are some formal direct
commands that are irregular:
Dar - to give
Dé
Decir - to tell/say
Diga
Estar - to be (temporary)
Esté
Hacer - to do/make
Haga
8. Ir - to go
Vaya
Oír - to hear
Oiga
Poner - to put/place
Ponga
Saber - to know
Sepa
Ser - to be (permanent)
Sea
9. Tener - to have
Tenga
Traer - to bring
Traiga
Venir - to come
Venga
Ver - to see
Vea
10. Formal Commands of Direction
Stop - pare(n)
Follow me - siga(n)me
Continue - siga(n)
Go up - suba(n)
Pass - pase(n)
Go down - baje(n)
Take - tome(n)
Get in/on (bus, etc.) - suba(n)se a
Turn - doble(n)
Get off (bus, etc.) - baje(n)se de
11. Informal commands are formed with the
second person singular (tu) form of the
present tense.
Affirmative commands: drop -s from the
second person singular form of the present
indicative.
Examples: Mirar (to look [at]) – Miras (you
look [at]) – Mira – (look [at])
Comer (to eat) – Comes (you eat) – Come (Eat)
Asistir (to attend) – Asistes (you attend) –
Asiste (attend)
12. Negative Commands: Use second person
singular form of the present subjunctive.
Examples: Don’t look.
No mires.
Don’t eat.
No comas.
Don’t attend.
No asistas.
13. The following are some common irregular
familiar commands in the affirmative and the
negative:
Decir - to tell/say
Di No digas
Hacer - to do/make
Haz No hagas
Ir - to go
Ve No vayas
14. Poner - to put/place
Pon No pongas
Salir - to leave
Sal No salgas
Ser - to be (permanent)
Sé No seas
Tener - to have
Ten No tengas
15. Valer - to value
Val No valgas
Venir - to come
Ven No vengas
16. The first person plural of the present
subjunctive is used in suggestion (or “Let’s”)
commands.
Examples: Let’s work.
Trabajemos.
Let’s read.
Leamos.
Let’s have a drink.
Tomemos un refresco.
17. Pronouns attach to affirmative suggestion
commands and precede negative ones.
Examples: Let’s invite him.
Invitémoslo.
Let’s not invite him.
No lo invitemos.
18. Indirect Commands are formed by omitting
the initial word or words of the impersonal
verb phrase in a soft command.
Examples: I want them to drive.
Quiero que manejen.
Have them drive!
¡Que manejen!
19. I want him to finish.
Quiero que termine.
Let him finish!
¡Que termine!
20. Irregulars for Formal Direct Commands:
Ir – to go
Go with God.
Vaya con Dios.
Decir – to tell/say
Tell the truth.
Diga la verdad.
Hacer – to make/do
Make a sandwich.
Haga un sandwich.
21. Irregular Familiar Direct Commands:
Decir – to tell/say
Tell the truth.
Di la verdad.
Hacer – to make/do
Don’t make a sandwich.
No hagas un sandwich.
