In Spanish, negative commands tell someone what not to do. Instead of using the regular imperative, negative commands use the present subjunctive form of the verb, and you place no before the verb. This ensures the command is clearly negative and polite.
- Use negative commands to tell someone not to do something.
- Put no before the verb.
- Use the verb form from the present subjunctive, not the regular imperative.
Example:
- (tú) Habla → No hables (don’t speak)
- (usted) Coma → No coma (don’t eat)
Spanish negative commands use the subjunctive mood.
'No' is placed before the verb to make a command negative.
No, negative commands use subjunctive forms, not the imperative.
Formation
| Subject | Positive (Hablar) | Negative (No + Subjunctive) |
|---|---|---|
| tú | Habla | No hables |
| usted | Hable | No hable |
| nosotros | Hablemos | No hablemos |
| vosotros | Hablad | No habléis |
| ustedes | Hablen | No hablen |
- For tú, vosotros, usted, nosotros, and ustedes, the negative form is: no + [subjunctive].
- Subjunctive endings for -ar verbs: e, es, e, emos, éis, en.
- For -er/-ir: a, as, a, amos, áis, an.
All common subjects except affirmative 'tú' use 'no + subjunctive'.
For -ar verbs, use -e, -es, -e, -emos, -éis, -en in subjunctive.
All verb classes (-ar, -er, -ir) use subjunctive endings in negatives.
Examples
Hablar (to speak)
- Tú: ¡Habla! (Speak!) → No hables (Don’t speak!)
- Usted: Hable → No hable
- Nosotros: Hablemos → No hablemos
- Vosotros: Hablad → No habléis
- Ustedes: Hablen → No hablen
Comer (to eat)
- Tú: Come → No comas
- Usted: Coma → No coma
- Nosotros: Comamos → No comamos
- Vosotros: Comed → No comáis
- Ustedes: Coman → No coman
Salir (to leave)
- Tú: Sal → No salgas
- Usted: Salga → No salga
- Nosotros: Salgamos → No salgamos
- Vosotros: Salid → No salgáis
- Ustedes: Salgan → No salgan
The correct negative tú command for salir is 'No salgas'.
'comer' uses subjunctive forms for all but tú positive. Negatives: No comas, no coma, no comamos, no comáis, no coman.
For 'ustedes' negative command, use subjunctive: 'No manejen.'
Special Notes
- Pronouns: In negative commands, pronouns always go before the verb.
- (Tú) No lo hagas. (Don’t do it.)
- (Usted) No se levante. (Don’t get up.)
- For nosotros, negative commands can be used to suggest not doing something together:
- No salgamos. (Let’s not go out.)
Pronouns precede the verb in negative commands.
Yes, 'nosotros' negative commands are often used for suggestions (Let's not...).
Conclusion
Negative commands in Spanish use the subjunctive mood and 'no' to tell someone not to do something, making them essential for clear and polite instructions.
- Use 'no + subjunctive' for all negative commands except the affirmative tú form.
- Match the subjunctive ending to the subject and verb type.
- Remember pronouns go before the verb in negative commands.