El modo imperativoLos mandatos

The imperative mood

Commands

• Spanish has three moods, that is, three ways of talking: the indicative, the imperative, and the subjunctive.

• The indicative mood is used to express the way things are; you use the present, past, and future tenses with this mood.

• The subjunctive mood is used to express a possibility or opinion; something that isn’t necessarily true but could be.

• The imperative mood is used to express requests and commands.

• You have learned the indicative mood and later on you’ll learn the subjunctive. Now we’ll concentrate on the imperative mood.

• Whenever you want somebody to do something for you, you will have to use the imperative mood.

• We use two ways of speaking in Spanish: – the formal speech to show respect or to be polite.– the informal speech when we are familiar with the people we

are talking with or when they are the same age or younger than us.

• Because of the formal and informal speech in Spanish, whenever you have to give a command you’ll have to choose between the formal (polite) or informal (familiar) commands.

• Formal commands are formed by:

1) conjugating the verb with yo in the present tense.

2) then drop the –o ending.

3) add the following endings:

for –ar verbs add –e for ud. and –en for uds.

for –er and –ir verbs add –a for ud. and –an for uds.

Ex: You (formal/singular) speak!

1) First, conjugate hablar with yo = hablo

2) Second, drop the –o. hablo = habl

3) Third, for –ar verbs add –e = hable

Translation = (Usted) ¡hable!

Ejercicios• Translate the following formal commands:

1. You walk._____________________________

2. You (pl) walk.__________________________

3. You eat.______________________________

4. You (pl) eat.___________________________

5. You mix.______________________________

6. You (pl) mix.___________________________

7. You taste._____________________________

8. You (pl) taste._________________________

9. You add._____________________________

• The following verbs are irregular:

Verb Ud.(f/s) Uds.(f/p)

dar (to give) dé den

ir (to go) vaya vayan

ser (to be) sea sean

estar (to be) esté estén

saber (to know) sepa sepan

To make a formal command negative just add no in front of the command.

Abra la puerta. → No abra la puerta.

Cierre la ventana. → No cierre la ventana.

Verbs ending in –car, -gar, and –zar

• Verbs ending in –car, -gar, and –zar have a spelling change in formal commands.

Usted Ustedes

• Buscar ---- busque busquen

• Pagar ------- pague paguen

• Empezar --- empiece empiecen

Ejercicios1. Tocar _________________

2. Tocar (pl)_______________

3. Jugar__________________

4. Jugar (pl)_______________

5. Practicar________________

6. Practicar (pl)_____________

7. Almorzar________________

8. Almorzar (pl)_____________

Go verbsTo make commands with –go verbs you

follow the same rule:

1. conjugate with yo.

2. drop the o

3. add a for –er/ir (-go verbs are only –er and –ir)

• Tener

tengo teng tenga

Write the commands for the following –go verbs

Go verbs Usted Ustedes

Tener

Venir

Salir

Decir(e>i)

Hacer

Poner

Traer (irr.)

Commands with object pronouns

• In Spanish, the placement of pronouns depends on whether a command is affirmative or negative.

• In affirmative commands, you attach the object pronouns to the end of the verb.

• Compre la comida. object pronoun

• CómprelaNotice that there is an accent on the o. You will need to add an accent on commands with three or more syllables.

Ejercicios • Form a new word by attaching the object

pronouns to the formal commands.

1. Preparare la cena.__________________

2. Hierva el aceite.____________________

3. Pruebe el postre.___________________

4. Corte las cebollas.__________________

5. Bata los huevos.____________________

6. Fria las patatas.____________________

7. Lea la receta.______________________

• In negative commands, you place object pronouns before the verb and after no.

• No compre la comida. object pronoun

• No la compre.

• No vendan la ropa. No añada el ajo.

• No la vendan. No lo añada.

EjerciciosMake commands with object pronouns.

• Hervir/zanahorias. Hiérvalas.

• No hervir/zanahorias. No las hierva.

1.Freír/verduras._____________________

2.No mezclar/huevos._________________

3.Cortar/ajos.________________________

4.No comer/comida.__________________

5.Batir/ingredientes.__________________

6.Pagar/desayuno.___________________

Make plural commands with object pronouns.

• Hervir/frijoles. Hiérvanlos.

• No hervir/zanahorias. No las hiervan.

1.Mezclar/ingredientes.________________

2.No preparar/cena.__________________

3.Batir/huevos..______________________

4.No beber/bebidas.__________________

5.Cortar/pollos.______________________

6.Añadir/verduras.___________________

• The informal / singular commands are formed by conjugating the verb with the pronoun usted in the present (indicative) tense.

Ex: You (inf.) speak ¡Tú habla!

Just conjugate speak / hablar with usted =habla

Ejercicios. Translate the following informal commands:

1. You (inf) work._________________________

2. You (inf) wash._________________________

3. You (inf) write.__________________________

4. You (inf) study._________________________

5. You (inf) sweep.________________________

• To make informal commands negative:

1) First conjugate the verb into tú.

2) Invert the conjugation endings.

For –ar verbs add –es, and for –er and –ir verbs add –as.

3) Add no infront of the new command.

Ex: Don’t read.

Conjugate to read (leer) with tú→ lees.

Change lees to –as → leas.

Add no infront of the command→No leas.

Don’t drink. Tomar→tomas→tomes→No tomes.

Ejercicios. Translate the following informal / singular commands.

1. You (inf/s) dance._______________________

2. You (inf/s) don’t dance.___________________

3. You (inf/s) jump.________________________

4. You (inf/s) don’t jump.____________________

5. You (inf/s) sing._________________________

6. You (inf/s) don’t sing.____________________

7. You (inf/s) run._________________________

8. You (inf/s) don’t run._____________________

9. You (inf/s) don’t sleep (o>ue).______________

Irregular informal commands.• The following verbs are irregular in the informal/

singular command conjugations. Verbo Mandato afirmativo Mandato negativo

Decir (to say) Di No digasHacer (to do) Haz No hagasIr (to go) Ve No vayasPoner (to put) Pon No pongasSalir (to leave) Sal No salgasSer (to be) Sé No seas tener (to have) Ten No tengasVenir (to come) Ven No vengas

A good way to remember…• Here is a sentence that will help you remember

the eight irregular tú commands:

“Vin Diesel has ten weapons, eh!” ven di sal haz ten ve pon sé

come

say do go be

leave have put

venir decir salir hacer tener ir poner ser

Another way to remember…• To the beat of Row, row, row your boat you can

sing the following:

Haz, sal, ve y ven

di, ten, sé y pon

ocho mandatos afirmativos

irregulares son

• The nosotros commands are used when the speaker is included. These commands are translated as let’s…(+ verb).

• To form these commands you’ll have to conjugate the verb with nosotros and invert the ending. For –ar verbs use the ending –emos and for –er and –ir verbs use the ending –amos.

• Ex: Let’s walk (caminar)Conjugate caminar with nosotros→ caminamos.Change caminamos to –emos → caminemos.Let’s write (escribir) escribimos→ add –amos → escribamos.

• To make negative commands with nosotros place no infront of the command.

• Ex: Let’s not clean here.

Limpiar→ limpiamos→limpiemos→ No limpiemos

No limpiemos aquí.

Let’s not play.

Jugar→jugamos→juguemos→ No juguemos.

Let’s not write.

escribir→escribimos→escribamos→No escribamos

• With the verb Ir (se) you will have to use “vayamos” for negative commands with nosotros.

Let’s go to the movie theater.

Vamos al cine.

Let’s not go to the movie theater.

No vayamos al cine.

Let’s not go to the house now.

No vayamos a la casa ahora.

Ejercicios. Traduce lo siguiente:1. Let’s study tonight._____________esta noche.

2. Let’s not study tonight.__________esta noche.

3. Let’s buy candy._______________dulces.

4. Let’s not buy candy.______________dulces.

5. Let’s go to the party.____________________.

6. Let’s not go to the party._________________.

7. Let’s talk on the phone.__________por teléfono.

8. Let’s not talk on the phone.___________por teléfono.

9. Let’s go to the school.___________________.

10. Let’s not go to the school.________________

Object pronouns with commands

• You can attach object pronouns directly to the end of the verb only to affirmative commands.

Ex: You (formal) wash the car. Wash it. (DO) Lave el carro. Lávelo.

You (formal) buy the fruits. Buy them.(DO) Compre las frutas. Cómprelas.

You (formal) sell the flower. Sell it (DO) Venda la flor. Véndala.

• If both the direct object pronoun (DO) and the indirect object pronoun (IOP) are attached, the IOP comes before the DO.

Ex: You (formal) buy it.(DO) → Cómprelo.(DO)

(DO) (IOP)

You (f) buy it for me. → Cómpremelo. (IOP)

(DO)

Place the IOP right

infront of the DO

In order to maintain the original pronunciation of the verb, a written accent is often needed.