Affirmative commands in Spanish are a key part of giving instructions or orders. They're formed differently for informal and formal situations, using specific verb endings for each. Understanding these forms helps you communicate more effectively in various social contexts.
Mastering affirmative commands involves learning regular and irregular verb forms. It's crucial to practice both formal and informal commands, as well as proper stress and intonation, to sound natural and convey the right level of urgency or respect in your Spanish conversations.
Affirmative Commands in Spanish
Formation of Regular Affirmative Commands
- Remove the -ar, -er, or -ir ending from the infinitive form of the verb to form affirmative commands for the second person singular informal (tú)
- Add -a for -ar verbs (hablar → habla)
- Add -e for -er and -ir verbs (comer → come, vivir → vive)
- Remove the -ar, -er, or -ir ending from the infinitive form of the verb to form affirmative commands for the second person plural informal (vosotros)
- Add -ad for -ar verbs (hablar → hablad)
- Add -ed for -er and -ir verbs (comer → comed, vivir → vivid)
- Use the present subjunctive form of the verb to form affirmative commands for the first person plural (nosotros)
- -ar verbs: hablar → hablemos
- -er verbs: comer → comamos
- -ir verbs: vivir → vivamos
- Use the present subjunctive form of the verb to form affirmative commands for the third person singular and plural (usted, ustedes)
- Singular: hablar → hable, comer → coma, vivir → viva
- Plural: hablar → hablen, comer → coman, vivir → vivan
Uses and Context of Affirmative Commands
- Give orders, instructions, or advice in a direct and assertive manner
- Convey the imperative nature of the statement in spoken communication
- Choose the appropriate level of formality based on the relationship between the speaker and the person being addressed
- Consider social context and cultural norms when using affirmative commands
Formal vs Informal Commands
Informal Affirmative Command Forms
- Used with the subject pronouns tú (singular) and vosotros (plural)
- Typically used with friends, family, and peers to show familiarity and closeness
- Tú form: remove the -ar, -er, or -ir ending and add -a or -e (hablar → habla, comer → come, vivir → vive)
- Vosotros form: remove the -ar, -er, or -ir ending and add -ad or -ed (hablar → hablad, comer → comed, vivir → vivid)
Formal Affirmative Command Forms
- Used with the subject pronouns usted (singular) and ustedes (plural)
- Show respect, formality, or social distance in addressing others
- Identical to the present subjunctive forms of the verb for the corresponding subject pronouns
- Usted: hablar → hable, comer → coma, vivir → viva
- Ustedes: hablar → hablen, comer → coman, vivir → vivan
- Chosen based on the relationship between the speaker and the person being addressed, social context, and cultural norms
Stress and Intonation in Commands
Stress Patterns in Affirmative Commands
- Last syllable stress for regular verbs in the tú, nosotros, and vosotros forms (ha-BLA, co-MED, vi-VID)
- Second-to-last syllable stress for usted and ustedes forms, following the present subjunctive stress pattern (HA-ble, CO-man, VI-van)
- Strong, assertive tone used to convey the imperative nature of the statement
Intonation in Affirmative Commands
- Higher pitch at the beginning of the statement, falling at the end
- Emphasizes the directive nature of the command
- Helps convey the intended meaning and urgency of the statement in spoken communication
- Proper stress and intonation are essential for effective communication when using affirmative commands
Irregular Affirmative Commands
Common Verbs with Irregular Command Forms
- Ir (to go):
- tú: ve
- usted: vaya
- nosotros: vayamos
- vosotros: id
- ustedes: vayan
- Hacer (to make or do):
- tú: haz
- usted: haga
- nosotros: hagamos
- vosotros: haced
- ustedes: hagan
- Ser (to be):
- tú: sé
- usted: sea
- nosotros: seamos
- vosotros: sed
- ustedes: sean
- Tener (to have):
- tú: ten
- usted: tenga
- nosotros: tengamos
- vosotros: tened
- ustedes: tengan
Other Irregular Affirmative Command Verbs
- Decir (to say or tell)
- Venir (to come)
- Salir (to leave or go out)
- Poner (to put or place)
- Memorize the irregular forms for these commonly used verbs to use them correctly in affirmative commands
- Pay attention to the specific irregular forms for each subject pronoun to avoid confusion with regular command formation patterns