

You, sure you! I command you to be taught Spanish instructions.
Don’t fear—in case you’re already accustomed to the current easy indicative and subjunctive, studying Spanish instructions will likely be a breeze.
And in case you aren’t, I’ll train you as we speak.
On this publish, you’ll be taught what the crucial temper is, conjugate Spanish instructions accurately, when to make use of instructions and extra.
Contents
Obtain:
This weblog publish is obtainable as a handy and moveable PDF that you just
can take wherever.
Click on right here to get a duplicate. (Obtain)
Spanish Instructions: The Crucial Temper
Once we speak about Spanish “instructions,” we’re normally referring to the crucial.
There are three grammatical moods in Spanish: the indicative, the subjunctive and the crucial.
The crucial temper is used to provide orders and instructions. It usually doesn’t embrace a topic, nevertheless it normally refers back to the second-person singular tú (you).
In English, the crucial consists of the bottom type of the verb. For instance:
“Drink!”
“Go away!”
“Inform me!”
Every of those instructions can discuss with the second-person singular and plural, or the third-person singular.
If you wish to embrace the speaker (normally the first-person plural, i.e. your self), you utilize the “let’s” crucial (extra on this in the primary a part of the publish):
“Let’s go to the cinema!”
“Let’s have enjoyable!”
“Let’s do it!”
Spanish, nonetheless, has a unique ending for every pronoun. The crucial temper have to be conjugated based on the particular person or folks you might be referring to.
The exception for that is the first-person singular crucial, which doesn’t exist—you may’t command your self!
Listed here are the endings for the three totally different verb varieties within the crucial temper:
Pronoun | -AR verb | -ER verb | -IR verb |
---|---|---|---|
Tú | -a | -e | -e |
Él/Ella/Usted | -e | -a | -a |
Nosotros | -emos | -amos | -amos |
Vosotros | -ad | -ed | -id |
Ellos/Ellas/Ustedes | -en | -an | -an |
When to Use the Spanish Crucial
Broadly talking, we usually use the crucial to provide instructions, however it will probably produce other makes use of as nicely. Listed here are all of the methods you should utilize the crucial temper:
1. To Give Instructions and Orders
The commonest use of the crucial is to provide instructions, whether or not constructive or unfavourable:
Bébete la leche. (Drink the milk.)
No vengas. (Don’t come.)
¡Corre! (Run!)
2. To Make Options
Vayamos a la playa. (Let’s go to the seashore.)
Pidamos pizza. (Let’s order pizza.)
Tomemos un taxi. (Let’s seize a cab.)
3. To Ask for Issues
You continue to have to make use of the crucial when asking for one thing, however strictly talking this isn’t an order—only a request.
You can also make these requests extra well mannered by including por favor (please):
Pásame la sal, por favor. (Cross me the salt, please.)
Tengo frío. Por favor, cierra la ventana. (I’m chilly. Shut the window, please.)
Por favor, ayúdame. (Assist me, please.)
4. To Warn or Give Recommendation
¡Ten cuidado! (Watch out!)
¡No te muevas! (Don’t transfer!)
No vayas a esa fiesta. (Don’t go to that get together.)
5. To Give Directions
Directions usually seem in recipes, tutorial books and when giving directions to someone:
Corta la cebolla y pela las patatas. (Chop the onion and peel the potatoes.)
Gira el aparato y ábrelo. (Turn the device over and open it.)
Gira a la izquierda y luego sigue todo recto. (Turn left and then go straight ahead.)
While you can certainly study when to use Spanish commands, the best way to learn how to use this form and when it’s appropriate is by observing native speakers.
If you’ve ever watched a telenovela or Spanish movie, I’m sure you’ve heard a handful of Spanish commands.

You’ll also find an abundance of them when using an online immersion program like FluentU.
FluentU takes clips from authentic Spanish media sources—like telenovelas and movies—and adds interactive subtitles to them.
You can click on unknown words and grammar structures, like instances of Spanish commands, to get a definition, example sentences, pronunciations and a new flashcard added to your deck. All this helps you to learn in context, and makes learning more efficient than when you study alone.
The program is also available as an iOS and Android app.
Affirmative Spanish Instructions
Tú Instructions
We use affirmative tú instructions to inform only one particular person to do one thing. Remember that tú instructions are utilized in casual settings.
Tú instructions use the él/ella/usted type of the current easy indicative.
Check out some instance sentences:
Abre la puerta. (Open the door.)
Come las verduras. (Eat the greens.)
There are solely eight irregular tú instructions. They’re:
Infinitive | Conjugated | Instance Sentence |
---|---|---|
Venir (to return) |
Ven | ¡Ven acá! (Come right here!) |
Ir (to go) |
Ve | Ve al mercado, por favor. (Go to the market, please.) |
Tener (to have) |
Ten | ¡Ten una bebida! (Have a drink!) |
Ser (to be) |
Sé | Sé un buen niño. (Be a very good boy.) |
Salir (to depart/exit) |
Sal | Sal esta noche conmigo. (Exit with me tonight.) |
Poner (to place/place) |
Pon | Pon la comida en la mesa, por favor. (Put the meals on the desk, please.) |
Hacer (to do/make) |
Haz | Haz la tarea ahora. (Do your homework now.) |
Decir (to say/inform) |
Di | Dime todo que pasó. (Inform me all the things that occurred.) |
Usted Instructions
Usted instructions, like tú instructions, are used to inform an individual what to do. Nevertheless, we use usted instructions in additional formal settings or to indicate respect.
To make an usted command, use the él/ella/usted type of the current easy subjunctive.
When you don’t know the subjunctive but, it’s positively value understanding. You’ll be able to be taught with our in-depth publish on the Spanish subjunctive right here.
Or, you may be taught the crucial first and discuss with the conjugation tables above.
Check out some examples:
Sólo hable español conmigo, por favor. (Solely converse Spanish with me, please.)
Dígame el plan. (Inform me the plan.)
Nosotros Instructions
Nosotros instructions are used to counsel a gaggle exercise, much like the English “let’s…”.
To make a nosotros command, use the nosotros subjunctive kind. For instance:
¡Comencemos a aprender español juntos! (Let’s begin studying Spanish collectively!)
Salgamos esta noche. (Let’s exit tonight.)
Vosotros Instructions
Used completely in Spain, the vosotros is the casual type of ustedes.
Naturally, as a result of I work in Spain, I’d use a vosotros command to deal with my complete class concurrently.
Vosotros instructions could be the best of all. Merely take the infinitive kind, take away the -r, and add a -d.
For instance:
Dejad de hablar. (Cease speaking.)
Haced vuestras tareas. (Do your duties.)
Ustedes Instructions
In Latin America, you’d use ustedes instructions to deal with a couple of particular person concurrently. In Spain, we use ustedes solely in formal conditions.
Vayan a la tienda y compren ropa nueva. (Go to the shop and purchase new garments.)
Miren la película. (Watch the film.)
Vos Instructions
After I went to Argentina for my school semester overseas, I used to be shocked to be taught in regards to the existence of a brand new verb kind no one had ever instructed me about: el voseo.
Used as an alternative choice to tú, the vos kind is important in a number of Latin American nations, reminiscent of Argentina, Uruguay, Paraguay, Costa Rica and Nicaragua.
The vos kind may be very common. I discover it simpler than the tú kind.
To make affirmative vos instructions, take away the -r on the finish of an infinitive and put an accent mark over the ultimate vowel.
Listed here are some examples:
Tomá café conmigo. (Have/drink espresso with me.)
Vení a la fiesta a las 8. (Come to the get together at eight.)
Ir (to go) is the one irregular verb within the vos kind.
Since ir doesn’t work within the aforementioned sample, Spanish audio system substitute it for the synonym andar (conjugated as andá).
Destructive Spanish Instructions
It’s essential to have the ability to inform folks what to do, nevertheless it’s equally essential to inform somebody what not to do! For this, we use unfavourable instructions.
All unfavourable instructions use subjunctive conjugations, so this part will likely be pretty easy.
Tú Instructions
Use the phrase no + the tú subjunctive.
For instance:
No vayas al parque. (Don’t go to the park).
No comas dulce en la mañana. (Don’t eat sweet within the morning.)
Usted Instructions
Fortunately, usted instructions are conjugated the identical whether or not they’re affirmative or unfavourable. The one essential change is so as to add the phrase no.
For instance:
No salga hasta la noche. (Don’t go away till tonight.)
No vea la película antes de leer el libro. (Don’t watch the film earlier than studying the e book.)
Nosotros Instructions
No vayamos al cine. (Let’s not go to the movie show.)
No estudiemos por más de tres horas. (Let’s not research for greater than three hours.)
Vosotros Instructions
No compréis pan. (Don’t purchase bread.)
No viajéis cuando estéis enfermos. (Don’t journey whenever you’re sick.)
Ustedes Instructions
Identical to with usted, ustedes unfavourable instructions are the identical as their affirmative counterparts.
No coman eso. (Don’t eat that.)
No jueguen en la calle. (Don’t play on the street.)
Vos Instructions
Because the tú kind and the vos kind are conjugated the identical manner within the subjunctive, the unfavourable instructions for vos are the identical as they’re for tú.
¡No lo bebas! (Don’t drink it!)
No rompas la computadora de nuevo. (Don’t break the pc once more.)
For a publish particularly about unfavourable instructions in Spanish, try our full publish:
Affirmative vs. Destructive Instructions in Spanish
To summarize what we’ve coated up to now, listed below are a number of verbs conjugated within the tú command kind. We’ve put them facet by facet on this desk in order that they’re simple to check:
Verb Ending | Infinitive | Affirmative | Destructive |
---|---|---|---|
-ar | Tomar | Tú toma | No tomes |
-er | Comer | Tú come | No comas |
-ir | Salir | Tú sal | No salgasoline |
Reflexive Verb Instructions in Spanish
Reflexive verbs are used for actions that somebody does to themselves.
As a fast reminder, the reflexive pronouns are:
Yo → me
Tú → te
Él/ella/usted → se
Nosotros → nos
Vosotros → os
Ellos/ellas/ustedes → se
To make a command out of a reflexive verb, conjugate the verb as normal after which stick the reflexive pronoun on the top of the phrase.
For instance, to inform somebody to clean their fingers (lavarse las manos), you’d say
¡Lávate las manos! (Wash your fingers!)
Spanish Instructions with Object Pronouns
As you might know, object pronouns can both be direct or oblique.
The direct object immediately receives the motion of the verb, and an oblique object not directly receives the motion of the verb. When you aren’t accustomed to them, try our publish on Spanish object pronouns right here.
To make use of Spanish instructions with oblique and direct object pronouns, we simply stick them onto the ending of the command.
When instructions name for each an oblique and a direct object pronoun, the oblique object at all times comes earlier than the direct object. To recollect the order of Spanish pronouns, use the acronym RID—Reflexive, Oblique, Direct.
Tráeme mi celular. (Convey me my cellphone.)
Llámala pronto. (Name her quickly.)
Dímelo. (Inform it to me.)
Llévaselo a tu mamá. (Take it to your mother.)
Find out how to Make Well mannered Instructions in Spanish
Conjugating verbs within the kinds we’ve seen above—often known as the mandato kind—is an effective technique to specific that you really want somebody to do one thing (or not).
However in some social conditions, utilizing a command might really feel just a little too direct or aggressive.
There are different, gentler methods to ask somebody to do one thing in these conditions.
Use the Conditional Tense
The conditional tense is used to precise uncertainty or chance about an motion sooner or later. (When you’re not accustomed to this tense, try this publish for a full overview).
For instance:
Si tuviera un millón de dólares, te compraría una casa. (If I had one million {dollars}, I’d purchase you a home.)
The conditional tense may function a well mannered technique to make requests in Spanish.
For instance, as an alternative of claiming Déjame tu libro (lend me your e book), you can say,
¿Me dejarías tu libro? (Would you lend me your e book?)
Use the Verb “Poder” and an Infinitive
Poder (to have the ability to) is without doubt one of the most helpful verbs for a Spanish speaker.
In a query, puedes means “are you able to.”
So as an alternative of claiming saca la basura (take out the trash), you may ask,
¿Puedes sacar la basura? (Can you’re taking out the trash?)
Use the Current Easy Like a Query
This one won’t be in any grammar books, however I hear Spanish audio system at all times do it.
As an alternative of claiming Pásame la sal (go the salt) for instance, you can say,
¿Me pasas la sal?”
It is a colloquial technique to ask for one thing with out utilizing the often harsh-sounding mandato kind.
Widespread Spanish Expressions Utilizing Instructions
- Hazme el favor de… This phrase is just like the Spanish equal of the English phrase “Do me a favor and…” It may very well be a well mannered phrase with the correct tone, however it will probably additionally sound aggressive. For instance, the phrase Hazme el favor de callarte la boca (Do me a favor and shut your mouth!).
- ¡No me digas! This exclamation interprets to “Don’t inform me!” nevertheless it means one thing nearer to “You don’t say!” or “I can’t imagine it!”
- Déjame en paz. “Go away me in peace,” or, extra merely put, “Go away me alone.”
- Vete al infierno. On this phrase, vete is the command type of the reflexive verb irse (to depart). Maybe you may infer that Vete al infierno means go to h-e-double hockey sticks!
- Pásalo bien. This phrase means “Have a very good time.” When talking to a couple of particular person, use the ustedes kind (pásenlo bien) or the vosotros kind (pasadlo bien) relying on the place you might be.
- Ponte a… This phrase plus an infinitive verb is a colloquial technique to inform somebody to get began on one thing. For instance, Ponte a trabajar would imply “Get to work!”
- Dime. I hear this command no less than 10 instances each day right here in Spain. Actually “Inform me,” it truly has quite a lot of makes use of. Individuals reply the cellphone with dime, waiters and bartenders say dime to ask to your order and lots of various kinds of employees will use dime as shorthand for “How can I assist you?” or “What do you want?”
- No te preocupes. This phrase means, “Don’t fear!”
- Mirá vos. A command within the vos kind, this phrase is ubiquitous in Argentine Spanish. It’s used to precise gentle shock or curiosity, much like the English phrase “how about that.” It may also be shortened to easily Mirá.
Spanish instructions are helpful for learners in any respect ranges and can be utilized in numerous social conditions.
Plus, training the mandato kind forces you to brush up in your current easy indicative and subjunctive conjugations, which is nice follow for inexperienced persons.
So, get finding out (¡ponte a estudiar!) and also you’ll have Spanish instructions down pat very quickly.
Obtain:
This weblog publish is obtainable as a handy and moveable PDF that you just
can take wherever.
Click on right here to get a duplicate. (Obtain)