How to give affirmative commands in Spanish
Vocalyra teaching team · Last updated:
English uses the same base verb for many commands, but Spanish changes the verb according to whom you address. The distinction is especially important for polite requests and group instructions.
Use the tú form with someone you know
For regular affirmative tú commands, use the third-person singular present indicative: hablar → habla, comer → come, escribir → escribe. Say Habla más despacio to one friend, or Escribe tu nombre aquí. Do not confuse a positive command with the negative tú command, which follows a different pattern. The pronoun tú is usually omitted because the verb ending already shows the form.
Learn the most useful irregular tú commands
Eight common affirmative tú commands are di (decir), haz (hacer), ve (ir), pon (poner), sal (salir), sé (ser), ten (tener) and ven (venir). Memorize them in short meaningful phrases: Haz la tarea, Ven aquí, Ten cuidado. A frequent mistake is saying hace instead of haz when giving a command. The word sé with an accent is the command of ser; se without an accent is a different grammatical word.
Choose usted or ustedes for formality or a group
Usted commands use present subjunctive forms: hable, coma, escriba. Ustedes commands use hablen, coman, escriban. In Latin America, ustedes is the usual plural address regardless of formality. In Spain, vosotros has its own affirmative forms such as hablad and comed, but these are not generally used in Latin America. The right form depends on who is listening, not just whether the sentence contains please.
Attach object pronouns to positive commands
Positive commands attach pronouns after the verb: Dímelo (tell it to me), Escríbelo (write it), Siéntate (sit down). Accent marks may be needed to preserve the original stress when a pronoun is added. Compare dime with dímelo. English keeps the pronoun as a separate word, so English speakers sometimes write di me lo as three words. Practice the command aloud and then write it as one correctly accented word.
- Habla conmigo. = Talk with me.
- Ponga su firma aquí. = Put your signature here (formal).
- Vengan mañana. = Come tomorrow (plural).
- Dímelo otra vez. = Tell it to me again.
Practice and self-check
Quick self-check
Command for tú: hablar → ___.
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habla
Irregular tú command of hacer: ___.
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haz
Formal singular command: escribir → ___.
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escriba
Plural Latin American command: comer → ___.
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coman
Write with attached pronoun: di + me + lo.
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dímelo