How to say do not in Spanish commands
Vocalyra teaching team · Last updated:
Spanish negative commands are not simply no plus the affirmative command. The verb form changes, and pronouns move before it, which makes this a frequent source of mistakes for English speakers.
Change the verb form for negative tú commands
Start from the present yo form, remove -o and add the opposite vowel endings. Hablar gives no hables; comer gives no comas; escribir gives no escribas. For verbs ending in -ar, the tú ending is -es. For -er and -ir, it is -as. Say No hables tan rápido, not no habla tan rápido. The affirmative tú command habla and the negative tú command no hables belong to different grammatical patterns.
Use usted and ustedes for polite and group prohibitions
The negative usted forms are no hable, no coma and no escriba; the ustedes forms are no hablen, no coman and no escriban. The positive and negative formal commands use the subjunctive pattern, unlike affirmative tú. A sign might say No fume aquí (formal singular) or No entren (plural). Choose the address form before choosing the verb ending, particularly when speaking to a customer or a group.
Move pronouns before a negative command
Positive commands attach pronouns: Dímelo. Negative commands place them before the verb: No me lo digas. Say No te levantes for do not get up, compared with Levántate for get up. English speakers often try no levántate, but that mixes the positive pronoun position with a negative command. With two pronouns, their order stays the same: me lo, te lo, se lo. Only their placement changes.
Pay attention to irregular forms
Common negative tú commands include no vayas (ir), no seas (ser), no estés (estar), no tengas (tener), no hagas (hacer) and no digas (decir). Do not say no ve for do not go; ve is the affirmative command of ir. Practice pairs that mean opposite things: Ven / No vengas, Hazlo / No lo hagas, Dime / No me digas. The paired approach helps you learn the different verb shape and pronoun position together.
- No corras aquí. = Do not run here.
- No me lo digas. = Do not tell it to me.
- No salgan todavía. = Do not leave yet (plural).
- No esté nervioso. = Do not be nervous (formal singular).
Practice and self-check
Quick self-check
Negative tú of hablar: no ___.
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hables
Negative tú of tener: no ___.
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tengas
Negative usted of comer: no ___.
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coma
Correct: (No lo hagas / No hazlo).
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No lo hagas
Transform Levántate into a negative tú command.
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No te levantes.