Advanced Spanish Step-by-Step: Master Accelerated Grammar to Take Your Spanish to the Next Level (2012)
Part I. Ser and Estar; Present, Preterit, and Imperfect Tenses; Progressive Tenses; Present Subjunctive; Commands
Chapter 6. Commands
The command form, also called the imperative, is used to tell someone to do or not to do something. The command form is considered a mood, and exists only in the immediate present. The Spanish affirmative command is equivalent to English commands, such as turn here or follow the directions. The Spanish negative command is equivalent to English don’t scream or don’t drink the water, for example. Except for the affirmative tú command, all the constructions use a form that is the same as the present subjunctive, so your knowledge of the subjunctive is a great help.
Even though there are other ways to request that people do things, the command form is necessary in many situations. For example, let’s say you need to give someone directions:
Go straight ahead, and then turn to the right.
Follow the red line.
Walk in the direction of the traffic.
Sometimes you need the command form to tell people not to do something, and you don’t have very much time to do it in.
Don’t touch the light socket!
Don’t jump in the water—there are sharks!
Don’t move.
Don’t worry.
Affirmative tú Commands
The affirmative command form in the familiar tú is the same as the third-person singular of the present indicative. If the third-person indicative form is irregular, so is the command form.
-Ar Verbs
-Er and -ir Verbs
Irregular tú Commands
The following are the only irregular commands in the affirmative tú form. It is a good idea to learn these imperatives right away.
NOTE The command form can be softened by adding por favor (please).
Exercise 6.1
Translate the following regular tú commands into English.
1. Toma tu medicina y llama al doctor en la mañana.
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2. Sigue a la derecha, por favor.
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3. Cierra la puerta, por favor, y abre la ventana.
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4. Corre a la tienda y compra la leche.
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5. Prepara la comida esta noche y después, saca la basura, por favor.
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6. Lee Don Quixote para la clase y escribe tu opinión acerca del tema principal.
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7. Come más frutas y verduras.
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8. Cuenta conmigo.
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Exercise 6.2
Write the affirmative tú command form for the following verbs.
Exercise 6.3
Complete the following sentences with the tú command form of the verb in parentheses. Both regular and irregular commands are included.
EXAMPLE ¿Por qué no vienes acá? Ven acá.
1. Tú nunca dices la verdad. ___________________ la verdad. (decir)
2. Tú debes portarte bien. ___________________ un buen niño. (ser)
3. ___________________ tu pregunta, por favor. (leer)
4. ___________________ el correo electrónico. (escribir)
5. Hay mucho peligro en la selva. ___________________ cuidado. (tener)
6. ___________________ la ropa en el cajón, por favor. (poner)
7. ___________________ acá. (venir)
8. Tú te vas a engordar si no haces ejercicios. ___________________ ejercicios por lo menos tres veces a la semana. (hacer)
9. Necesitamos arroz para preparar la comida. ___________________ el arroz, por favor. (traer)
10. ___________________ a tu hermanita. (esperar)
Placement of Object Pronouns with Affirmative tú Commands
All object pronouns are attached to the affirmative form of the imperative. When two object pronouns occur together, the indirect object pronoun precedes the direct object pronoun.
NOTE The written accent maintains the stress on the correct syllable in the imperative: escribe, escríbeme, escríbemela, for example.
In Spanish, the reflexive command form is very important. The reflexive object pronoun is attached the affirmative command form, and the written accent is again used to maintain stress on the correct syllable. Practice these examples aloud.
When a reflexive object pronoun and a direct object pronoun occur together, the reflexive object pronoun precedes the direct object pronoun.
Exercise 6.4
Write the affirmative tú command form for the following verbs. All responses require a written accent to maintain stress on the correct syllable, except irse. Pronounce each response aloud.
Negative tú Commands
The negative tú command form is the same as the present subjunctive form.
To form the negative tú command, begin with the yo form of the present indicative tense. Drop the final -o to get the stem of the present subjunctive.
• For -ar verbs, add -es to the stem.
• For -er and -ir verbs, add -as to the stem.
-Ar Verbs
-Er and -ir Verbs
Pronounce the commands listed above aloud. Take time to write down both the affirmative and negative commands you need in everyday life, pronounce them, and try to learn them by memory. The negative commands are very important.
Placement of Object Pronouns with Negative tú Commands
All object pronouns precede the verb in a negative command. The indirect object pronoun precedes the direct object pronoun if they appear together.
The reflexive object pronoun also precedes the verb in a negative tú command.
If a reflexive verb and a direct object appear in the same phrase, the reflexive object pronoun precedes the direct object pronoun.
Review of tú Commands
Regular tú Commands
Irregular tú Commands
Exercise 6.5
Translate the following commands into English.
Exercise 6.6
Write the correct affirmative and negative tú commands for the following verbs, according to the example given. Pronounce each command aloud.
Exercise 6.7
Translate the following sentences into Spanish. Use the tú form for commands.
1. Don’t eat the salad in Guatemala. Don’t eat it.
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2. Don’t run; another train is coming.
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3. Don’t tell me the secret. Don’t tell it to me.
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4. Don’t do it. _______________________________
5. Don’t touch it. _______________________________
6. Don’t be afraid. _______________________________
7. Don’t lend money to her. Don’t lend it to her.
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8. Don’t come late to the parade.
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9. Don’t give us bad news.
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10. Don’t bring candies to the child. Don’t bring them to him.
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11. Don’t go away. _____________________________
12. Don’t worry. _____________________________
13. Don’t wait for me. _____________________________
14. Don’t be jealous. _____________________________
Ud. and Uds. Commands
The command forms for Ud. and Uds. are identical to the present subjunctive.
• To form the Ud./Uds. commands for -ar verbs, begin with the yo form of the present indicative. Drop the -o and add -e (Ud.) or -en (Uds.) to the stem.
• To form the Ud./Uds. commands for -er and -ir verbs, begin with the yo form of the present indicative. Drop the -o and add -a (Ud.) or -an (Uds.) to the stem.
• There are only five irregular Ud./Uds. command forms. All regular Ud./Uds. commands are formed from the yo form of the present indicative.
Affirmative Ud. Commands
-Ar Verbs
NOTE The command can be softened by adding Ud. or Uds.
-Er and -ir Verbs
Negative Ud. Commands
The verb form for negative Ud. commands is the same as the present subjunctive. Affirmative and negative Ud. command forms are identical.
Affirmative Uds. Commands
Add an -n to the Ud. form of the imperative to form the Uds. command.
-Ar Verbs
-Er and -ir Verbs
Negative Uds. Commands
Pronounce the commands listed above aloud. Now list the commands that you need in everyday life. Make your own list of commands and practice them.
Placement of Object Pronouns with Affirmative Ud./Uds. Commands
The reflexive, indirect, and direct object pronouns are attached to the affirmative command. When an object is added to the command form, a written accent is placed over the stressed syllable to maintain the sound of the verb.
Affirmative Ud. Commands
Affirmative Uds. Commands
NOTE The -nn- combination is very rare in Spanish.
Placement of Object Pronouns with Negative Ud./Uds. Commands
The reflexive, indirect, and direct object pronouns precede the verb in a negative Ud./Uds. command. The verb forms for affirmative and negative commands are the same.
Negative Ud. Commands
Negative Uds. Commands
Review of Ud./Uds. Commands
Regular Ud./Uds. Commands
Irregular Ud./Uds. Commands
There are only five Ud./Uds. command forms that are not formed from the yo form of the present indicative.
NOTE Remember that commands such as diga, haga, and tenga are not irregular. They are formed from the yo form of the present indicative tense.
Other Ways of Asking People to Do Things
• Favor de + infinitive (easy to use and very polite)
• Tener la bondad de + infinitive
• Puede Ud. + infinitive
• Hacer el favor de + infinitive with indirect object (similar to favor de)
• Present indicative with indirect object pronoun or direct object pronoun
A Word About the Word “Will”
In all of the constructions mentioned above, the English translation using the word “will” does not indicate a future tense, but rather a voluntary mood.
Exercise 6.8
Translate the following sentences into English, then pronounce these commands aloud.
1. No naden en este lago.
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2. No caminen en el lodo.
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3. No se acueste tarde.
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4. No nos lo dé.
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5. No dejen los platos sucios en la mesa.
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6. No trabajen tanto.
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7. No venga a clase el lunes.
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8. No lleguen tarde.
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Exercise 6.9
Write both the affirmative and negative Ud. commands for the following verbs. Practice pronouncing all commands aloud.
Exercise 6.10
Write both the affirmative and negative Uds. commands for the following reflexive verbs. Practice pronouncing all commands aloud.
Reading Comprehension
Perdida en Nicaragua
“Vaya recto hasta llegar a la iglesia. Cuando llegue a la iglesia, doble a la derecha.
“Siga recto hasta llegar al ayuntamiento; camine diez minutos más, suba una colina, cruce la calle y ya está en la universidad. Si sale ahora, va a llegar mucho antes de su primera clase a las diez.”
El año era 1987. Eran las siete de una mañana caliente y húmeda como siempre era en agosto en Managua. Empecé mi caminata con mucha confianza y alegría, siendo muy independiente. Caminé con las direcciones escritas en un papelito. Después de quince minutos comencé a prestar mucha atención, buscando la iglesia blanca y grande como era la descripción de ella. La temperatura siguió subiendo. No vi a nadie para pedir direcciones. No hallé ninguna iglesia, ni grande, ni pequeña, ni blanca ni de otros colores.
Desesperada, di la vuelta y seguí la misma pista que me trajo hasta este punto y volví a la pensión. Sudada, miré al grupo, todos alegres, comiendo el desayuno y charlando.
“Nunca vi la iglesia,” les relaté a los dueños. Mis colegas me miraron sin poder aguantar la risa.
“Ah,” me contestaron. “Ud. no es nicaragüense y no conoce bien ni la ciudad ni esta área. Le dirigimos adonde la iglesia estaba antes de la guerra.”
Verbos
Nombres
Adjetivo
Direcciones
Preguntas
1. ¿A qué hora es la clase de la protagonista?
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2. ¿Cómo se siente ella al empezar el camino?
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3. ¿Estaba ella sola o acompañada?
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4. ¿Cómo volvió a la pensión?
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5. ¿Por qué se rieron sus colegas?
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The nosotros Command: “Let us …”
“Let’s do something,” or “Let’s not do something” expresses the nosotros command forms. The nosotros command forms are the same as the present subjunctive.
Begin with the present indicative yo form of the verb, and drop the -o. That gives you the stem for the command form.
• For -ar verbs, add -emos to the stem.
• For -er and -ir verbs, add -amos to the stem.
• The affirmative and negative nosotros commands have the same form.
-Ar Verbs
-Er and -ir Verbs
The indirect object pronouns and direct object pronouns are attached to the affirmative command.
The negative nosotros command form is the same as the affirmative nosotros command form. The object pronouns (reflexive, indirect, and direct) precede the command.
Vamos is used instead of vayamos for let’s go. In the negative, vayamos is used.
In the affirmative nosotros command form of a reflexive verb, the final -s is dropped before the -nos is added.
The final -s of the command form is dropped if the indirect object pronoun se is added. The -s is dropped before the se is added. This is done to eliminate the -ss- combination.
In the stem-changing -ir verbs, there is an irregularity in the nosotros command form. Verbs with the e > ie or e > i change in the stem have an -i- in the stem of the nosotros command. Verbs with the o > u change in the stem have a -u- in the stem of the nosotros command. This is the same stem change seen in the present subjunctive.
e > ie
e > i
o > u
Exercise 6.11
Write the affirmative nosotros command for the following verbs.
Affirmative vosotros Commands
The vosotros form is used only in Spain. The affirmative, familiar plural vosotros command is formed by dropping the final -r of the infinitive and adding -d. There are no exceptions.
In the affirmative vosotros command, both the direct and indirect object pronouns are attached to the verb form.
In the affirmative vosotros command of a reflexive verb, the final -d is dropped before the -os is added:
despertad + os − -d- = desperta(d)os = despertaos
Negative vosotros Commands
The negative vosotros command is the same as the subjunctive. The reflexive, indirect, and direct object pronouns precede the verb.
For the negative vosotros command, as for the affirmative nosotros command, stem-changing -ir verbs show an irregularity in the command form. Verbs with the e > ie or e > i change in the stem have an -i- in the stem of the vosotros command. Verbs with the o > u change in the stem have a -u- in the stem of the vosotros command. This is the same as is found in the present subjunctive.
A Word About the vosotros Command
The vosotros command is used only in Spain. It is good to know this form, however, especially when you begin to read literature by Spanish writers, or if you are planning a trip to Spain.
Exercise 6.12
Write the Spanish translation for the following commands as quickly as you can, according to the cue in parentheses. You often you have very little time to ask someone to do or not to do something. (Try to say each of the following Spanish commands in five seconds or less.)
Exercise 6.13
Subjunctive, present indicative, or infinitive? Complete the following sentences with the correct form of the verb in parentheses.
1. Quiero que Ud._____________________(quedarse)
2. ¿Qué quieres que yo te_____________________? (decir)
3. Es importante_____________________bien. (comer)
4. Esperamos que Jorge y su hermana_____________________(mejorase)
5. Paulina sabe que yo la_____________________(buscar)
6. Es cierto que a los niños les_____________________jugar. (gustar)
7. No me gusta que ella_____________________a verme. (venir)
8. Los turistas buscan un hotel que_____________________cómodo. (ser)
9. No sabemos quien _____________________ser presidente. (querer)
10. Ojalá que toda la familia nos_____________________.(visitar)
11. Helena nos dice que el tren_____________________. (llegar)
12. El profesor les dice a los estudiantes que_____________________la tarea. (hacer)
13. Vamos a estar alegres cuando_____________________un buen apartamento. (comprar)
14. Me alegro_____________________aquí. Me alegro de que tú_____________________aquí también. (estar/estar)
15. Antes de_____________________al concierto, las mujeres se visten bien. (ir)
16. ¿Es verdad que a la gente le_____________________usar la computadora? (gustar)
17. Espero que a Uds. les_____________________esta lección. (gustar)
18. Mi amigo me va a esperar hasta que yo lo_____________________. (llamar)
19. Buscamos una piscina que_____________________limpia. (estar)
20. ¿Conoce Ud. a alguien que_____________________tocar el violín? (saber)
21. ¿Sabe ella de donde_____________________tú? (ser)
22. Yo le aconsejo a Alicia que ella_____________________al dentista. (ir)
23. Es imposible que la mayoría siempre_____________________razón. (tener)
24. Dudo que_____________________mucho tráfico hoy. (haber)
As you read the following story, underline the command forms.
Reading Comprehension
La Noche de Brujas
“Ven acá m’hija,” dijo su padre. “Ven acá para que yo pueda verte de cerca. Qué bonita estás en tu disfraz.”
“Vuelve a las nueve como nos prometiste,” le pidió su madre. “Y no hables con nadie, sino con tu grupito de chicas.”
“Sí, no se preocupen.” Y después, le murmura a su papá para que su mamá no la oiga: “Tú sabes, papá, que mamá va a seguirme, escondiéndose, detrás de los árboles.”
“Eres muy lista. Yo no sabía que tú sabías. Ten cuidado, niñita, y no cruces la calle sin mirar en ambas direcciones.”
“Sí, sí, papá.” Les cantó a sus padres el canto de la Noche de Brujas: “Triqui triqui Halloween, quiero dulces para mí,” y se fue.
El papá las mira salir; primero su hija, y después su esposa. Sus dos mujeres; una mayor, la otra menor. Él se sienta en su sillón favorito, en la casa cómoda, entre sus libros. Pasan las nueve; pasan las diez y nadie llegó. Empezó a oír todos los sonidos de la casa, el reloj, la radio, el viento contra la ventana, menos el sonido que él quería oír—las voces de su esposa e hija, llenas de cuentos de sus aventuras.
Verbos
Nombre
Expresiones
Preguntas
1. ¿Adónde van la madre e hija?
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2. ¿Por qué no va con ellas el papá?
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3. ¿Piensa Ud. que ellas van a regresar?
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4. ¿Es una familia feliz o infeliz?
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