Imperative Mood

The imperative mood gives commands, makes requests, offers advice, and sometimes softens directions with polite forms. It applies differently to tú, usted, ustedes, and nosotros.

Affirmative Tú

Affirmative tú commands use the third person singular form of the verb in the present indicative for regular verbs, making them quick and natural for telling someone to come, go, or do something.

Examples

Spanish Example	English Translation
☕ Prepara el café para todos.	Prepare the coffee for everyone.
🥐 Calienta los croissants en el horno.	Warm the croissants in the oven.
🧃 Sirve los jugos en las copas.	Pour the juices into the glasses.
🥣 Pon las tazas en la mesa.	Put the cups on the table.
🧼 Lava las manos antes de comer.	Wash your hands before eating.

Negative Tú

Negative tú commands use the tú form of the present subjunctive, and the word no goes before the verb, which keeps the command polite and clear when telling someone not to do something.

Examples

Spanish Example	English Translation
🍵 No derrames el té al mover la jarra.	Don’t spill the tea when moving the pitcher.
🔥 No pongas croissants cerca del fuego.	Don’t put croissants near the fire.
🧴 No uses la misma servilleta para todos.	Don’t use the same napkin for everyone.
🚫 No tires las migas al suelo.	Don’t throw crumbs on the floor.
✋ No toques las tazas con las manos sucias.	Don’t touch the cups with dirty hands.

Usted and Ustedes

Commands for usted and ustedes use the third person forms of the present subjunctive, making them more formal and appropriate for strangers, customers, or groups when you want to be respectful.

Examples

Spanish Example	English Translation
🍽️ Sirva más café, por favor.	Serve more coffee, please.
🧺 Coloque las flores en el centro de la mesa.	Place the flowers in the center of the table.
🥖 Traigan una cesta de pan, por favor.	Bring a basket of bread, please.
🧻 Pongan más servilletas al lado de los platos.	Put more napkins next to the plates.
🧑‍🍳 Prepare la mesa para cinco personas.	Set the table for five people.

Nosotros

Nosotros commands use the first person plural form of the present subjunctive and include both action and suggestions like let's go or let's eat, useful for planning activities together.

Examples

Spanish Example	English Translation
🧹 Limpiemos las migas antes de sentarnos.	Let’s clean the crumbs before sitting down.
🥣 Preparemos una jarra de limonada.	Let’s prepare a pitcher of lemonade.
🕯️ Encendamos las velas para crear ambiente.	Let’s light the candles to set the mood.
🪑 Corramos las sillas para más espacio.	Let’s move the chairs for more space.
🗑️ Botemos la basura antes de comenzar.	Let’s throw away the trash before starting.

Pronouns

In affirmative commands, pronouns attach to the end of the verb and can add accents to preserve stress, while in negative commands pronouns go before the verb, keeping the command visually clear.

Special Verbs

Some common verbs have irregular tú commands or split forms, so it's helpful to memorize key examples like ven, di, sal, haz, ten, ve, pon, sé for quick and accurate commands.

Irregular Tú Commands

Spanish Command	English Command
ven	come
di	say / tell
sal	leave / go out
haz	do / make
ten	have
ve	go
pon	put / place
sé	be

Summary

The imperative mood organizes commands by audience and tone: use affirmative tú forms for quick instructions, negative tú commands with subjunctive for polite refusals, and usted/ustedes/nosotros forms for added respect and group directions.

Last updated: Sun Sep 14, 2025