THE IMPERATIVE MOOD Pattern

THE IMPERATIVE MOOD
Pattern: The imperative mood expresses direct commands. It is used only in the present tense. It
has both formal and informal forms.
What a command really is
The imperative mood is really used to make a request or a suggestion. When you tell someone
to sit down, you are really expressing that you want them to sit down. Since desires and suggestions are
contrary to reality, most commands use the subjunctive form. Think of commands expressed as desires,
like this:
Yo deseo que usted se ponga cómodo.
Póngase usted cómodo.
I want you to make yourself comfortable.
Make yourself comfortable.
These two sentences express much the same idea. They both use the subjunctive form of the verb
hacer.
However, the imperative mood is different from the subjunctive mood because the speaker is
giving directions, not expressing desires, opinions, or emotional reactions.
Formal (polite) vs. informal
Although there is no difference in meaning between formal and informal commands, the tone
used can be very important. In most Spanish-speaking countries it would very impolite (and often
downright rude) to use familiar commands in traditionally formal situations.
One example would be a job interview. Another could be when talking to the principal of your
school. On the other hand, if you know the person well enough to call them by their first name, you
could use the informal tone. Each country will have its own nuances, but as a general rule, it is best to
use the formal commands if you are not sure which to use.
Note: It is also worth mentioning that the formal tone is used in many situations to be polite. You will
see many advertisements and letters in business that use the formal tone because it is more polite. This
is also the case with people who work directly with clients in their business.
Formal Commands
Formal commands use the subjunctive usted or ustedes form of the verb in question. For
example:
Escuche usted, por favor.
Siéntense ustedes.
Listen please (sir).
Please be seated (everyone).
To make a formal command negative, simply add no before the verb, like this:
No mire usted directamente al sol.
No vayan ustedes a casa.
Don't look directly at the sun.
Don't go home.
Note: It is perfectly acceptable and common to leave off the words usted and ustedes. If they are used,
the sentence is considered more polite or formal, much like adding the words “sir” or “ma'am” to a
formal situation in English.
Informal commands
Negative informal commands use no with the subjunctive tú or vosotros form of a verb. For
example:
No hables con la boca llena.
Don't talk with your mouth full.
No comáis galletas en la cama.
Don't eat cookies in bed.
Positive informal commands
Positive informal commands do NOT use the subjunctive forms.
Positive tú commands
The majority of positive tú commands are taken from the 3rd person singular present tense
indicative form of the verb in question. For example:
¡Corre!
Compra pan y leche.
Run! (hurry up)
Buy bread and milk.
There are eight common verbs with irregular tú commands. Here is the list with examples:
Infinitive
decir
hacer
ir
poner
salir
ser
tener
venir
Tú command
di
haz
ve
pon
sal
sé
ten
ven
Example
Dime la verdad.
Haz lo que quieras.
Vete.
Ponte la chaqueta.
Sal ahorita.
Sé bueno.
Ten cuidado.
Ven acá.
Tell me the truth.
Do whatever you want.
Go away.
Put your jacket on.
Leave right now.
Be good.
Be careful.(literally: have care)
Come here.
Positive vosotros commands
These commands are only used in Spain. Positive vosotros commands are very easy to form.
Simply change the r at the end of an infinitive verb to d. For example:
Comed todo lo que queráis.
Eat as much as you guys want.
If the verb is reflexive, remove the d and add os. Like this:
Sentaos.
Sit down.
There is one exception to this rule: the verb ir. The reflexive form is idos.
Note: Informal commands nearly always omit the pronouns tú and vosotros. When they are included, it
is for emphasis or contradiction.
Nosotros commands
Nosotros commands are the equivalent of “Let's” in English. Although it is common to use the
construction vamos a + infinitive, you can also use the subjunctive nosotros form. For example:
Hablemos de otras cosas.
¡Cantemos!
Let's talk about other things.
Let's sing!