5/26/2023 0 Comments Mover conjugationNaturally, there are some verbs that are unique in their affirmative tú imperativo form. As you can see, the -a or -e endings are added onto the same stem used in present tense: Infinitive verb Stem change Tú imperative form mov-er mov- = muev- mueve cerr-ar cerr- = cierr- cierra inclu-ir inclu- = incluy- incluyeįully irregular verbs can transform completely. Verbs that change their stems in other tenses also use the same new stem for imperative. Stem-changing verbs are irregular in the way that the beginning of the verb changes, and it generally only changes to one other “stem,” to which you can add the appropriate endings. Of course, there are always irregular verbs! These verbs don’t follow the dominant rules for conjugation. Infinitive type Tú affirmative ending -ar -a -ir/-er -e Irregular Affirmative Verbs To form the imperative, conjugate the infinitive form of the verb by removing the -ar, -ir, or -er and adding the appropriate ending. That’s right – most regular verbs use the él/ella present indicative form for the tú imperativo.Ĭamina cuatro cuadras. To tell someone to do something, surprisingly, most of the time you simply need to remember the él/ella present tense indicativo. As you may have noticed, yo, él/ella, and ellos/ellas are missing from that list, because it’s difficult to think of situations in which you would be giving commands to people that aren’t present or to yourself. ![]() Most commands are directed at a peer or someone you know well, so most of the time you’ll find yourself using the informal tú, vosotros, or nosotros. ![]() If a native speaker gives you the command “ Tutéame” or “ Puedes tutearme,” then they’re giving you the go-ahead to use the tú form with them. You can also stick with formal commands (using usted and ustedes) while starting out, which are detailed in the second half of this guide. If this strategy makes you feel more comfortable, you can try using the Spanish conditional tense to form polite requests or give advice until you know for sure which situations are appropriate for employing the imperative form. Those learning Spanish may just skip commands to begin with to avoid sounding too demanding or harsh before becoming familiar enough with the language. ![]() Where to start:Īs you know, giving commands is tricky business in a second language. You may want to start with the first half of the guide (informal commands), let that sink in, then return and read the second half (formal commands) tomorrow. This guide may be long, but the details are necessary to begin understanding and using these crucial phrases. The syntax changes for affirmative and negative commands, and in some cases you’ll need to include a subject pronoun after the verb. It doesn’t follow as neat of a conjugation schema as other verbs, with drastic differences between formal and informal person categories. The truth is that the Spanish imperative form isn’t that simple to put into practice. In case of emergency, you should remember that “ ¡Ayúdame!” means “Help me!” You may even find yourself needing to know how to tell someone to “Watch out!” or “ ¡Cuidado!” Wait for me to clean the table before you sit. ![]() If you haven’t done so, they’ll send you back to get the sticker.Įspere a que limpie la mesa antes de sentarse. “Please weigh your items before bringing them to the cash register” – in many Spanish grocery stores, you’re required to weigh your produce to get a sticker with the calculated cost before getting in line. Pese sus artículos antes de llevarlos al cajero, por favor. Literally “Tell me” – used commonly in shops/cafes to say “How can I help you?” Once you know what to listen for, you’ll find yourself coming across the Spanish imperative form, which is used to make commands, all the time.ĭime. However, forming and understanding commands in Spanish can actually be imperative ( wink wink) to interacting with a Spanish-speaking society. In fact, you’d probably rather not draw too much attention to yourself when speaking Spanish, worse yet make any enemies by accidentally sounding too harsh or using the informal register appropriately. You may be thinking that as a Spanish learner you’re not in a position to be authoritatively telling anyone what to do yet.
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