MandatosFormal and Familiar Direct Commands,

Suggestion Commands, and Indirect Commands

Formal direct commands are formed by adding the third person singular and plural (Usted and Ustedes) endings of the present subjunctive to the first person singular form (yo form) of the present indicative after dropping the -o.

Examples: Hablar (to speak) – Hablo (I speak) – Hable (Speak)

Comer (to eat) – Como (I eat) – Coma (Eat) Vivir (to live) – Vivo (I live) – Viva (Live)

Formal Direct Commands

Examples in sentences:

Eat cereal in the morning.Coma cereal en la mañana.

Don’t dance more than two hours.No baile más de dos horas.

Formal Direct Commands

Irregularities and stem changes in the first person singular (yo) form of the present tense usually remain in the command form.

Example: Sleep at least eight hours.

Dormir (to sleep) – Duermo (I sleep)

Duerma por lo menos ocho horas.

Formal Direct Commands

If an object pronoun is involved, it attaches to an affirmative command and precedes a negative one.

Examples: Tell me the truth. Dígame la verdad.  Don’t tell me that you don’t know. No me diga que no sabes.

Formal Direct Commands

If both an indirect and direct object pronoun are used, they attach to the affirmative command with the IOP coming before the DOP, and a diacritical mark is added to the command.

Example: Give it (masculine) to me. Démelo. Give it (masculine) to him/her/you/them. Déselo. Give it (masculine) to us. Dénoslo.

Formal Direct Commands

The following are some formal direct commands that are irregular:

Dar - to give Dé Decir - to tell/say Diga Estar - to be (temporary) Esté Hacer - to do/make Haga

Formal Direct Commands

Ir - to go Vaya Oír - to hear Oiga Poner - to put/place Ponga Saber - to know Sepa Ser - to be (permanent) Sea

Formal Direct Commands

Tener - to have Tenga Traer - to bring Traiga Venir - to come Venga Ver - to see Vea

Formal Direct Commands

Formal Commands of Direction Stop - pare(n) Follow me - siga(n)me Continue - siga(n) Go up - suba(n) Pass - pase(n) Go down - baje(n) Take - tome(n) Get in/on (bus, etc.) - suba(n)se a Turn - doble(n) Get off (bus, etc.) - baje(n)se de

Formal Direct Commands

Informal commands are formed with the second person singular (tu) form of the present tense.

Affirmative commands: drop -s from the second person singular form of the present indicative.

Examples: Mirar (to look [at]) – Miras (you look [at]) – Mira – (look [at])

Comer (to eat) – Comes (you eat) – Come (Eat) Asistir (to attend) – Asistes (you attend) – Asiste

(attend)

Familiar Direct Commands

Negative Commands: Use second person singular form of the present subjunctive.

Examples: Don’t look. No mires. Don’t eat. No comas. Don’t attend. No asistas.

Familiar Direct Commands

The following are some common irregular familiar commands in the affirmative and the negative:

Decir - to tell/say Di No digas Hacer - to do/make Haz No hagas Ir - to go Ve No vayas

Familiar Direct Commands

Poner - to put/place Pon No pongas Salir - to leave Sal No salgas Ser - to be (permanent) Sé No seas Tener - to have Ten No tengas

Familiar Direct Commands

Valer - to value Val No valgas Venir - to come Ven No vengas

Familiar Direct Commands

The first person plural of the present subjunctive is used in suggestion (or “Let’s”) commands.

Examples: Let’s work. Trabajemos. Let’s read. Leamos. Let’s have a drink. Tomemos un refresco.

Suggestion Commands

Pronouns attach to affirmative suggestion commands and precede negative ones.

Examples: Let’s invite him. Invitémoslo.

Let’s not invite him. No lo invitemos.

Suggestion Commands

Indirect Commands are formed by omitting the initial word or words of the impersonal verb phrase in a soft command.

Examples: I want them to drive. Quiero que manejen.

Have them drive! ¡Que manejen!

Indirect Commands

I want him to finish. Quiero que termine.

Let him finish! ¡Que termine!

Indirect Commands

Irregulars for Formal Direct Commands: Ir – to go Go with God. Vaya con Dios. Decir – to tell/say Tell the truth. Diga la verdad. Hacer – to make/do Make a sandwich. Haga un sandwich.

Quiz Review

Irregular Familiar Direct Commands: Decir – to tell/say Tell the truth. Di la verdad. Hacer – to make/do Don’t make a sandwich. No hagas un sandwich.

Quiz Review