The Imperative (AQA A-Level Spanish): Revision Notes
The Imperative
Overview
The imperative is a verb mood used when giving orders, instructions, commands, or making requests. You use the imperative when telling someone to do something (affirmative commands) or not to do something (negative commands). The form you choose depends on who you're speaking to and whether the situation is formal or informal.
In Spanish, the imperative has different forms for:
- Informal situations (speaking to friends, family, children): tú and vosotros
- Formal situations (speaking to strangers, authority figures, people you show respect to): usted and ustedes
The formation also changes depending on whether your command is positive (telling someone to do something) or negative (telling someone not to do something).
Understanding the imperative is essential for everyday Spanish communication. You'll use it constantly when giving directions, making requests, offering advice, or telling people what to do or not to do. The key is knowing which form to use based on your relationship with the person you're addressing.
Informal affirmative imperative: tú commands
When giving a positive command to one person you address informally (tú), the formation is straightforward. Take the present tense tú form of the verb and simply drop the final -s. This creates a command that sounds direct and friendly.
Formation rule:
Remove the -s from the tú form of the present tense verb.
Examples:
- Llamar (to call) → tú llamas → llama (call)
- Comer (to eat) → tú comes → come (eat)
- Abrir (to open) → tú abres → abre (open)
Regular tú imperative forms
| Infinitive | Tú form | Imperative | English |
|---|---|---|---|
| llamar | llamas | llama | call |
| comer | comes | come | eat |
| abrir | abres | abre | open |
Worked Examples: Regular tú Commands
Example 1: Hablar (to speak)
- Present tense tú form: hablas
- Remove the -s: habla
- Command: ¡Habla más despacio! (Speak more slowly!)
Example 2: Escribir (to write)
- Present tense tú form: escribes
- Remove the -s: escribe
- Command: ¡Escribe tu nombre aquí! (Write your name here!)
Example sentences:
- Llámame. (Call me.) - This command uses the regular formation with a pronoun attached.
- Come la pizza. (Eat the pizza.) - Here the imperative is followed by a direct object.
- Abre la ventana. (Open the window.) - A straightforward command to open something.
Informal affirmative imperative: vosotros commands
When giving a positive command to more than one person informally (vosotros), you take the infinitive form of the verb, remove the final -r, and add -d. This form is used primarily in Spain; in Latin America, the ustedes form is used instead even in informal contexts.
Formation rule:
Remove the -r from the infinitive and add -d.
Examples:
- Llamar → llamad (call)
- Comer → comed (eat)
- Abrir → abrid (open)
Regular vosotros imperative forms
| Infinitive | Imperative | English |
|---|---|---|
| llamar | llamad | call |
| comer | comed | eat |
| abrir | abrid | open |
Example sentences:
- Llamadme. (Call me.) - The command to multiple people with pronoun attached.
- Comed la pizza. (Eat the pizza.) - Telling a group to eat.
- Abrid la ventana. (Open the window.) - Instructing several people to open something.
Important note about reflexive verbs:
When forming the vosotros imperative of reflexive verbs, you do NOT add the 'd'. Instead, the reflexive pronoun 'os' replaces it.
Example: Levantarse (to get up) → levantaos (NOT levantados)
Irregular affirmative tú commands
Several common verbs have irregular forms in the tú imperative. These do not follow the standard rule of dropping the -s from the present tense. You must memorise these forms as they are frequently used in everyday Spanish.
The 9 Irregular Tú Commands
These verbs have special forms that must be memorized:
| Infinitive | Tú imperative | English |
|---|---|---|
| decir | di | tell/say |
| hacer | haz | do |
| ir | ve | go |
| oír | oye | listen |
| poner | pon | put |
| salir | sal | go out |
| ser | sé | be |
| tener | ten | have |
| venir | ven | come |
Memory aid: Think "Vin Diesel has 10 weapons" - ven, di, sal, haz, ten, ve, pon, oye, sé
Example sentences with explanations:
-
Di la verdad. (Tell the truth.) - The verb decir becomes 'di', not the expected 'dice'. This irregular command is used when instructing someone to say or tell something.
-
Haz tu tarea. (Do your homework.) - The verb hacer forms 'haz' instead of 'hace'. This is one of the most common commands you'll use when telling someone to do or make something.
-
Ve a casa. (Go home.) - The verb ir becomes 've', which looks exactly like the imperative of ver (to see). Context determines the meaning.
-
Ven aquí. (Come here.) - The verb venir forms 'ven', not 'viene'. This command is frequently used when calling someone to come to a location.
-
Sé bueno. (Be good.) - The verb ser forms 'sé', which also looks like the first person of saber. This command is used when telling someone to be or act in a certain way.
Informal negative imperative: tú and vosotros
When telling someone NOT to do something in an informal context, you cannot use the simple affirmative forms. Instead, you must use the present subjunctive. This applies to both regular and irregular verbs.
Formation rule:
NO + present subjunctive (tú/vosotros form)
The subjunctive forms follow the pattern of taking the yo form of the present tense, dropping the -o, and adding the opposite endings:
- For tú: -es for -ar verbs, -as for -er/-ir verbs
- For vosotros: -éis for -ar verbs, -áis for -er/-ir verbs
Examples with tú (one person)
Affirmative vs negative:
- Habla con ella. (Talk to her.) → No hables con ella. (Don't talk to her.)
- Ven a verme. (Come to see me.) → No vengas a verme. (Don't come to see me.)
- Sal a las tres. (Go out at three.) → No salgas a las tres. (Don't go out at three.)
Examples with vosotros (more than one person)
Affirmative vs negative:
- Hablad con ella. (Talk to her.) → No habléis con ella. (Don't talk to her.)
- Venid a verme. (Come to see me.) → No vengáis a verme. (Don't come to see me.)
Notice how the affirmative commands look completely different from the negative ones. In the negative, you use the subjunctive, which requires you to know the subjunctive conjugations well.
Worked Example: Converting Affirmative to Negative Commands
Let's take the verb trabajar (to work):
Step 1: Form the affirmative tú command
- Present tense tú form: trabajas
- Remove -s: trabaja
Step 2: Form the negative tú command
- Take yo form: trabajo
- Remove -o: trabaj-
- Add subjunctive ending -es: trabajes
- Add NO: No trabajes
Result:
- Affirmative: ¡Trabaja mucho! (Work hard!)
- Negative: ¡No trabajes tanto! (Don't work so much!)
Formal imperative: usted and ustedes
When speaking to someone formally or to a group in a formal setting, you use the usted (singular) or ustedes (plural) forms. Unlike informal commands, the formal imperative uses the present subjunctive for BOTH affirmative and negative commands. This makes it slightly simpler as you only need to know one form.
Formation rule:
Present subjunctive (both positive and negative forms)
The subjunctive is formed by taking the yo form of the present indicative, removing the -o, and adding:
- -e/-en for -ar verbs
- -a/-an for -er/-ir verbs
Usted (one person - formal)
| Affirmative | English | Negative | English |
|---|---|---|---|
| escuche | listen | no escuche | don't listen |
| salga | go out | no salga | don't go out |
| hable | speak | no hable | don't speak |
| coma | eat | no coma | don't eat |
Example sentences:
- Escuche, por favor. (Listen, please.) - A polite command using the formal imperative.
- No salga esta noche. (Don't go out tonight.) - Formal negative command advising against going out.
Ustedes (more than one person - formal)
| Affirmative | English | Negative | English |
|---|---|---|---|
| escuchen | listen | no escuchen | don't listen |
| salgan | go out | no salgan | don't go out |
| hablen | speak | no hablen | don't speak |
| coman | eat | no coman | don't eat |
Example sentences:
- Escuchen con atención. (Listen carefully.) - Formal command to a group to pay attention.
- No salgan sin permiso. (Don't go out without permission.) - Formal negative instruction to multiple people.
The formal imperative is essential when showing respect or in professional, academic, or unfamiliar social settings. In Spain, it's used with people you don't know well, older people, or in customer service situations. In Latin America, ustedes is also used for informal plural (replacing vosotros).
Pronoun placement with imperatives
When using object pronouns (me, te, lo, la, nos, os, los, las) or reflexive pronouns with imperative commands, the placement changes depending on whether the command is affirmative or negative.
Pronoun Placement Rules
Affirmative commands: Pronouns attach to the end of the verb, forming one word. An accent mark may be needed to maintain the original stress.
Examples:
- Llámame (Call me) - The pronoun 'me' attaches to the end
- Levántate (Get up) - The reflexive pronoun 'te' attaches to the end
- Dámelo (Give it to me) - Two pronouns attach: 'me' + 'lo'
Negative commands: Pronouns are placed separately before the verb, just as they would be in a regular sentence.
Examples:
- No me llames (Don't call me) - The pronoun 'me' comes before the verb
- No te levantes (Don't get up) - The reflexive pronoun 'te' comes before the verb
- No me lo des (Don't give it to me) - Both pronouns come before the verb
Memory aid: Think "Affirmative = attached, Negative = separate"
Common mistakes and tips
Mistake 1: Using the infinitive instead of the imperative
❌ Incorrect: Hablar con ella (To talk to her)
✓ Correct: Habla con ella (Talk to her)
Students often forget to conjugate the verb and use the infinitive instead. Remember that the imperative needs a specific form, not the infinitive.
Mistake 2: Forgetting irregular tú commands
❌ Incorrect: Dice la verdad
✓ Correct: Di la verdad (Tell the truth)
The nine irregular tú commands must be memorised. They don't follow the regular pattern, so drilling these forms is essential.
Mistake 3: Using affirmative forms for negative commands
❌ Incorrect: No habla con ella
✓ Correct: No hables con ella (Don't talk to her)
Negative commands always require the subjunctive mood, not the affirmative imperative form.
Mistake 4: Incorrect pronoun placement
❌ Incorrect: Me llama (for an imperative)
✓ Correct: Llámame (Call me)
With affirmative commands, pronouns must attach to the end of the verb. Only negative commands keep pronouns separate before the verb.
Mistake 5: Adding 'd' to reflexive vosotros commands
❌ Incorrect: Levantados
✓ Correct: Levantaos (Get up)
When you add the reflexive pronoun 'os' to a vosotros command, the 'd' disappears. This is a specific rule for reflexive verbs only.
Mistake 6: Confusing formal and informal contexts
Using 'tú' commands with someone who requires 'usted' (or vice versa) is a social error. Always consider the relationship and setting. When in doubt with someone you don't know well, use the formal imperative.
Tips for success:
- Practise the nine irregular tú commands daily until they become automatic
- Remember the rule: "Negative and formal = subjunctive"
- Think about pronoun placement: "Affirmative = attached, negative = separate"
- When speaking to groups in Latin America, remember they use 'ustedes' even informally
- Pay attention to accent marks when adding pronouns - they maintain the original stress pattern
Key Points to Remember:
- The imperative has different forms depending on formality (tú/vosotros vs usted/ustedes) and whether the command is positive or negative
- Affirmative tú commands are formed by removing the -s from the present tense tú form (except for nine irregular verbs)
- Vosotros affirmative commands replace the infinitive -r with -d (but reflexive verbs use -os instead)
- Negative informal commands and all formal commands (both positive and negative) use the present subjunctive mood
- Pronouns attach to the end of affirmative commands but come before negative commands
- The nine irregular tú commands (di, haz, ve, oye, pon, sal, sé, ten, ven) must be memorised as they don't follow regular patterns