Spanish conjugation explanation

Affirmative vs. negative commands

<p>In Spanish, the conjugation of the imperative mood changes significantly depending on whether we are giving an <strong>affirmative command</strong> (telling someone to do something) or a <strong>negative command</strong> (telling someone <em>not</em> to do something).</p>

<div class="conjugation_explanation_title">Negative Commands</div>

<p>The rule for <strong>negative commands</strong> is consistent for all persons (<span style="font-style: italic;">tú, usted, nosotros, vosotros, ustedes</span>). They are always formed using the

<a class="conjugation_explanation_link_intext" href="/conjugationExplanation/spanish_wrong_present_subjunctive_stem/" target="_blank">forms of the Present Subjunctive</a>

<div class="conjugation_explanation_example_sentence"><strong>No hables</strong> tan alto. (<span style="font-style: italic;">Don't speak so loudly.</span>)</div>

<div class="conjugation_explanation_title">Affirmative Commands</div>

<p><strong>Affirmative commands</strong> are mixed. Some forms borrow from the subjunctive, while others have their own unique patterns based on the person being addressed:</p>

<ul>

<li>The <strong><span style="font-style: italic;">usted, nosotros</span>, and <span style="font-style: italic;">ustedes</span></strong> affirmative commands use the <strong>Present Subjunctive</strong> (identical to their negative counterparts).</li>

<li>The <strong><span style="font-style: italic;">tú</span></strong> (informal singular) affirmative command usually uses the <strong>Third Person Singular (S/3)</strong> form of the Present Indicative (the <span style="font-style: italic;">él/ella</span> form).</li>

<li>The

<a class="conjugation_explanation_link_intext" href="/conjugationExplanation/spanish_vosotros_imperative/" target="_blank"><strong><span style="font-style: italic;">vosotros</span></strong> (informal plural) affirmative</a>

</ul>

<p>Let's compare the affirmative and negative imperatives for the regular verb

<a class="conjugation_explanation_link_intext verb_link" href="/study/conjugations/esp/hablar/" title="Click to see conjugations for hablar" target="_blank">hablar</a>

<div class="study_conjugations_tense_container">

<a class="study_conjugations_tense_label box_label tense_box no_dark_mode " href="/study/tenseGuideForTense/22/" target="_blank" title="Open tense guide">Imperativo afirmativo</a>

<div class="study_conjugations_conjugation conjugations_table two_columns">

<div class="study_conjugations_forms conjugation_forms">

<div class="conjugation_form">

<span class="study_conjugations_pronoun conjugation_pronoun">---</span>

</div>

</div>

<div class="study_conjugations_forms conjugation_forms highlighted_conjugation">

<div class="conjugation_form">

<span><span class="study_conjugations_pronoun conjugation_pronoun">

(tú)

</span>habla

</span>

</div>

</div>

<div class="study_conjugations_forms conjugation_forms">

<div class="conjugation_form">

<span><span class="study_conjugations_pronoun conjugation_pronoun">

(usted)

</span>hable

</span>

</div>

</div>

<div class="study_conjugations_forms conjugation_forms">

<div class="conjugation_form">

<span><span class="study_conjugations_pronoun conjugation_pronoun">

(nosotros)

</span>hablemos

</span>

</div>

</div>

<div class="study_conjugations_forms conjugation_forms highlighted_conjugation">

<div class="conjugation_form">

<span><span class="study_conjugations_pronoun conjugation_pronoun">

(vosotros)

</span>hablad

</span>

</div>

</div>

<div class="study_conjugations_forms conjugation_forms">

<div class="conjugation_form">

<span><span class="study_conjugations_pronoun conjugation_pronoun">

(ustedes)

</span>hablen

</span>

</div>

</div>

</div>

</div>

<div class="study_conjugations_tense_container">

<a class="study_conjugations_tense_label box_label tense_box no_dark_mode " href="/study/tenseGuideForTense/142/" target="_blank" title="Open tense guide">Imperativo negativo</a>

<div class="study_conjugations_conjugation conjugations_table two_columns">

<div class="study_conjugations_forms conjugation_forms">

<div class="conjugation_form">

<span class="study_conjugations_pronoun conjugation_pronoun">---</span>

</div>

</div>

<div class="study_conjugations_forms conjugation_forms highlighted_conjugation">

<div class="conjugation_form">

<span><span class="study_conjugations_pronoun conjugation_pronoun">

(tú) no

</span>hables

</span>

</div>

</div>

<div class="study_conjugations_forms conjugation_forms">

<div class="conjugation_form">

<span><span class="study_conjugations_pronoun conjugation_pronoun">

(usted) no

</span>hable

</span>

</div>

</div>

<div class="study_conjugations_forms conjugation_forms">

<div class="conjugation_form">

<span><span class="study_conjugations_pronoun conjugation_pronoun">

(nosotros) no

</span>hablemos

</span>

</div>

</div>

<div class="study_conjugations_forms conjugation_forms highlighted_conjugation">

<div class="conjugation_form">

<span><span class="study_conjugations_pronoun conjugation_pronoun">

(vosotros) no

</span>habléis

</span>

</div>

</div>

<div class="study_conjugations_forms conjugation_forms">

<div class="conjugation_form">

<span><span class="study_conjugations_pronoun conjugation_pronoun">

(ustedes) no

</span>hablen

</span>

</div>

</div>

</div>

</div>

<div class="conjugation_explanation_example_sentence"><strong class="green_emphasis">Habla</strong> con tus padres. (<span style="font-style: italic;">Talk to your parents.</span>) &#8594; Affirmative <span style="font-style: italic;">tú</span></div>

<div class="conjugation_explanation_example_sentence"><strong class="green_emphasis">No hables</strong> con extraños. (<span style="font-style: italic;">Don't talk to strangers.</span>) &#8594; Negative <span style="font-style: italic;">tú</span></div>

<div class="conjugation_explanation_title">Pronoun Placement</div>

<p>Another crucial difference is the placement of reflexive, direct, and indirect object pronouns:</p>

<ul>

<li><strong>Affirmative Commands:</strong> Pronouns are <strong>attached to the end</strong> of the verb (enclitic). An accent mark is often added to the verb to maintain the original stress.</li>

<li>

<a class="conjugation_explanation_link_intext" href="/conjugationExplanation/spanish_wrong_reflexive_pronoun/" target="_blank"><strong>Negative Commands:</strong></a>

</ul>

<p>Let's compare the affirmative and negative commands of the reflexive verb

<a class="conjugation_explanation_link_intext verb_link" href="/study/conjugations/esp/lavarse/" title="Click to see conjugations for lavarse" target="_blank">lavarse</a>

<div class="study_conjugations_tense_container">

<a class="study_conjugations_tense_label box_label tense_box no_dark_mode " href="/study/tenseGuideForTense/22/" target="_blank" title="Open tense guide">Imperativo afirmativo</a>

<div class="study_conjugations_conjugation conjugations_table two_columns">

<div class="study_conjugations_forms conjugation_forms">

<div class="conjugation_form">

<span class="study_conjugations_pronoun conjugation_pronoun">---</span>

</div>

</div>

<div class="study_conjugations_forms conjugation_forms highlighted_conjugation">

<div class="conjugation_form">

<span><span class="study_conjugations_pronoun conjugation_pronoun">

(tú)

</span>lávate

</span>

</div>

</div>

<div class="study_conjugations_forms conjugation_forms highlighted_conjugation">

<div class="conjugation_form">

<span><span class="study_conjugations_pronoun conjugation_pronoun">

(usted)

</span>lávese

</span>

</div>

</div>

<div class="study_conjugations_forms conjugation_forms highlighted_conjugation">

<div class="conjugation_form">

<span><span class="study_conjugations_pronoun conjugation_pronoun">

(nosotros)

</span>lavémonos

</span>

</div>

</div>

<div class="study_conjugations_forms conjugation_forms highlighted_conjugation">

<div class="conjugation_form">

<span><span class="study_conjugations_pronoun conjugation_pronoun">

(vosotros)

</span>lavaos

</span>

</div>

</div>

<div class="study_conjugations_forms conjugation_forms highlighted_conjugation">

<div class="conjugation_form">

<span><span class="study_conjugations_pronoun conjugation_pronoun">

(ustedes)

</span>lávense

</span>

</div>

</div>

</div>

</div>

<div class="conjugation_explanation_example_sentence_note">Note the spelling changes in the affirmative forms: we drop the <strong>-s</strong> in <span style="font-style: italic;">nosotros</span> (<span style="font-style: italic;">lavemos</span> + <span style="font-style: italic;">nos</span> &#8594; <strong>lavémonos</strong>) and the <strong>-d</strong> in <span style="font-style: italic;">vosotros</span> (<span style="font-style: italic;">lavad</span> + <span style="font-style: italic;">os</span> &#8594;

<a class="conjugation_explanation_link_intext" href="/conjugationExplanation/spanish_vosotros_reflexive_imperative/" target="_blank">lavaos</a>

<div class="study_conjugations_tense_container">

<a class="study_conjugations_tense_label box_label tense_box no_dark_mode " href="/study/tenseGuideForTense/142/" target="_blank" title="Open tense guide">Imperativo negativo</a>

<div class="study_conjugations_conjugation conjugations_table two_columns">

<div class="study_conjugations_forms conjugation_forms">

<div class="conjugation_form">

<span class="study_conjugations_pronoun conjugation_pronoun">---</span>

</div>

</div>

<div class="study_conjugations_forms conjugation_forms highlighted_conjugation">

<div class="conjugation_form">

<span><span class="study_conjugations_pronoun conjugation_pronoun">

(tú) no

</span>te laves

</span>

</div>

</div>

<div class="study_conjugations_forms conjugation_forms highlighted_conjugation">

<div class="conjugation_form">

<span><span class="study_conjugations_pronoun conjugation_pronoun">

(usted) no

</span>se lave

</span>

</div>

</div>

<div class="study_conjugations_forms conjugation_forms highlighted_conjugation">

<div class="conjugation_form">

<span><span class="study_conjugations_pronoun conjugation_pronoun">

(nosotros) no

</span>nos lavemos

</span>

</div>

</div>

<div class="study_conjugations_forms conjugation_forms highlighted_conjugation">

<div class="conjugation_form">

<span><span class="study_conjugations_pronoun conjugation_pronoun">

(vosotros) no

</span>os lavéis

</span>

</div>

</div>

<div class="study_conjugations_forms conjugation_forms highlighted_conjugation">

<div class="conjugation_form">

<span><span class="study_conjugations_pronoun conjugation_pronoun">

(ustedes) no

</span>se laven

</span>

</div>

</div>

</div>

</div>

<div class="conjugation_explanation_example_sentence">Por favor, <strong class="green_emphasis">lávese</strong> las manos. (<span style="font-style: italic;">Please wash your hands.</span>)</div>

<div class="conjugation_explanation_example_sentence">Por favor, <strong class="green_emphasis">no se lave</strong> las manos aquí. (<span style="font-style: italic;">Please don't wash your hands here.</span>)</div>