Instruction: Spanish Positive Commands

1. Forming Positive Commands

Positive commands vary depending on whether you are addressing someone informally or formally, and whether you are speaking to one person or a group.

1.1 Tú (Informal Singular)

To form a positive tú command, use the third-person singular (Ud.) form of the present tense.

Examples:

• Hablar: Habla (Speak)
• Comer: Come (Eat)
• Escribir: Escribe (Write)

Example Sentences:

• Habla más despacio, por favor. (Speak more slowly, please.)
• Come tu cena. (Eat your dinner.)
• Escribe la carta. (Write the letter.)

1.2 Vosotros/Vosotras (Informal Plural, Spain)

To form a positive vosotros command, replace the “-r” at the end of the infinitive with “-d.”

Examples:

• Hablar: Hablad (Speak)
• Comer: Comed (Eat)
• Escribir: Escribid (Write)

Example Sentences:

• Hablad con el profesor. (Talk to the teacher.)
• Comed todas las verduras. (Eat all the vegetables.)
• Escribid vuestras respuestas. (Write your answers.)

1.3 Usted (Formal Singular)

To form a positive usted command, use the third-person singular (Ud.) form of the present subjunctive tense.

Examples:

• Hablar: Hable (Speak)
• Comer: Coma (Eat)
• Escribir: Escriba (Write)

Example Sentences:

• Hable con el gerente, por favor. (Speak with the manager, please.)
• Coma más frutas. (Eat more fruits.)
• Escriba su nombre aquí. (Write your name here.)

1.4 Ustedes (Formal Plural)

To form a positive ustedes command, use the third-person plural (Uds.) form of the present subjunctive tense.

Examples:

• Hablar: Hablen (Speak)
• Comer: Coman (Eat)
• Escribir: Escriban (Write)

Example Sentences:

• Hablen más fuerte, por favor. (Speak louder, please.)
• Coman lo que les gusta. (Eat what you like.)
• Escriban la dirección completa. (Write the full address.)

1.5 Nosotros/Nosotras (Let’s)

To form a positive nosotros command, use the first-person plural (Nosotros) form of the present subjunctive tense. This form is used to suggest that you and others do something together, often translated as “Let’s” in English.

Examples:

• Hablar: Hablemos (Let’s speak)
• Comer: Comamos (Let’s eat)
• Escribir: Escribamos (Let’s write)

Example Sentences:

• Hablemos sobre el problema. (Let’s talk about the problem.)
• Comamos en ese restaurante nuevo. (Let’s eat at that new restaurant.)
• Escribamos una carta de agradecimiento. (Let’s write a thank-you letter.)

2. Key Points to Remember

• The tú form of positive commands is the same as the third-person singular of the present indicative.
• The vosotros form (used in Spain) is created by replacing the infinitive “r” with “d.”
• The usted, ustedes, and nosotros forms all use the present subjunctive.
• Irregular verbs often have unique command forms, especially in the tú and usted forms, which need to be memorized separately. We’ll cover them more in a different lesson, but here’s a preview (below).

3. Common Irregular Positive Commands

Some verbs have irregular forms that must be memorized. Note: you will learn the Irregular Spanish Commands more in-depth in a future lesson.

• Tú (Informal Singular):
  • Decir: Di (Say)
  • Hacer: Haz (Do, Make)
  • Ir: Ve (Go)
  • Poner: Pon (Put)
  • Salir: Sal (Leave)
  • Ser: Sé (Be)
  • Tener: Ten (Have)
  • Venir: Ven (Come)

Conclusion

Positive commands in Spanish allow you to give clear and direct instructions. By mastering the different forms for tú, usted, vosotros, ustedes, and nosotros, you’ll be able to confidently issue commands in various situations. Keep practicing these forms, including the irregular command verbs, to become more proficient in using positive commands in Spanish!