Introduction to Negative Commands
In Spanish, negative commands are used to tell someone not to do something. They have a different conjugation and form compared to positive commands. Negative commands are important in daily communication when giving instructions, warnings, or prohibitions. In this guide, you will learn how to form negative commands for different subjects and verb types.
Formation of Negative Commands
To form negative commands in Spanish, you start with the yo form of the present tense, remove the -o ending, and add the appropriate endings for the subjunctive mood. This applies to regular verbs as well as most irregular verbs. Negative commands always include the word "no" before the verb.
Negative Tú Commands
Negative commands for tú (informal you) often use the present subjunctive form. For example, the verb hablar (to talk) becomes no hables (don’t talk) for the negative tú command.
| Spanish Pronoun | Spanish Conjugation | English Conjugation | Spanish Example | English Example |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| tú | no hables | don’t talk | No hables tan rápido. | Don’t talk so fast. |
| tú | no comas | don’t eat | No comas eso. | Don’t eat that. |
| tú | no escribas | don’t write | No escribas en la pared. | Don’t write on the wall. |
Negative Usted Commands
The negative command for usted (formal you) uses the present subjunctive conjugation with no before the verb. This form is polite and formal.
| Spanish Pronoun | Spanish Conjugation | English Conjugation | Spanish Example | English Example |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| usted | no hable | don’t talk | No hable durante la reunión. | Don’t talk during the meeting. |
| usted | no coma | don’t eat | No coma mucho azúcar. | Don’t eat too much sugar. |
| usted | no escriba | don’t write | No escriba aquí, por favor. | Don’t write here, please. |
Negative Commands with Vosotros and Ustedes
For vosotros (plural informal you) and ustedes (plural formal you), the negative commands also use the present subjunctive. Vosotros adds -éis or -áis endings instead of the imperative endings.
| Spanish Pronoun | Spanish Conjugation | English Conjugation | Spanish Example | English Example |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| vosotros | no habléis | don’t talk | No habléis tan rápido. | Don’t talk so fast. |
| vosotros | no comáis | don’t eat | No comáis eso. | Don’t eat that. |
| ustedes | no hablen | don’t talk | No hablen durante la película. | Don’t talk during the movie. |
Reflexive Verbs in Negative Commands
When forming negative commands with reflexive verbs, the reflexive pronoun is placed before the verb. For example, with the verb levantarse (to get up), the negative tú command is no te levantes.
| Spanish Pronoun | Spanish Conjugation | English Conjugation | Spanish Example | English Example |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| tú | no te levantes | don’t get up | No te levantes tarde. | Don’t get up late. |
| usted | no se levante | don’t get up | No se levante temprano. | Don’t get up early. |
| ustedes | no se levanten | don’t get up | No se levanten ahora. | Don’t get up now. |
Common Irregular Negative Commands
Some verbs have irregular negative command forms that you should memorize. For example, ir (to go) becomes no vayas, ser (to be) becomes no seas, and dar (to give) becomes no des in negative tú commands.
| Verb | Negative Tú Command | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| ir | no vayas | don’t go |
| ser | no seas | don’t be |
| dar | no des | don’t give |
| estar | no estés | don’t be (temp) |
| saber | no sepas | don’t know |
These irregulars follow subjunctive endings but have irregular stems.
Placement of Object Pronouns in Negative Commands
In negative commands, object pronouns (direct, indirect, reflexive) are placed before the verb, unlike positive commands where they are attached after. For example, No lo toques (Don’t touch it).
Summary of Negative Command Formation
The general formula for negative commands is:
No + present subjunctive form of the verb
with pronouns placed before the verb if used. This rule applies regardless of verb regularity or reflexivity.
