The main rule
Tú: use the él form of the present (habla, come, escribe). Usted: take the yo form and swap the vowel for the opposite one: -ar gives -e (hable), -er and -ir give -a (coma, escriba). Ustedes: add -n (hablen, coman, escriban). Seven common verbs have a short tú form of their own: di, haz, pon, sal, ten, ven, ve (and ser gives sé).
Three forms for three kinds of listener
English says "Speak!" to everybody. Spanish picks the form by the person you address: a friend, a child or a colleague you call tú, one person you treat formally (a client, a stranger, señor, señora) is usted, and a group of such people is ustedes. The verb is the same; only the ending changes.
| Verb | tú | usted | ustedes |
|---|---|---|---|
| hablar | habla | hable | hablen |
| comer | come | coma | coman |
| escribir | escribe | escriba | escriban |
The usted form can look like it has the "wrong" vowel. Hablar has an a, but the command is hable; comer has an e, but the command is coma. This is not a mistake: the vowel is swapped on purpose. Start from the yo form (hablo, como, escribo), drop the -o and add -e or -a. Then add -n for ustedes.
Irregular tú forms
| Verb | tú | usted | ustedes |
|---|---|---|---|
| decir | di | diga | digan |
| hacer | haz | haga | hagan |
| poner | pon | ponga | pongan |
| salir | sal | salga | salgan |
| tener | ten | tenga | tengan |
| venir | ven | venga | vengan |
| ir | ve | vaya | vayan |
| ser | sé | sea | sean |
Only the tú form is truly irregular, and only for these verbs: Di la verdad, Haz la tarea, Pon la mesa, Sal de aquí, Ten cuidado, Ven aquí, Ve a casa. The usted and ustedes forms still follow the yo form (hago, haga; pongo, ponga; salgo, salga), except vaya and sea, which you simply learn.
Stem changes
Verbs with a stem change in the present keep it, as in the él form and the yo form: tú cierra, usted cierre, ustedes cierren.
| Verb | tú | usted | ustedes |
|---|---|---|---|
| cerrar | cierra | cierre | cierren |
| volver | vuelve | vuelva | vuelvan |
| pedir | pide | pida | pidan |
What the imperative is used for
Instructions in class or at work (Abre el libro), directions (Siga todo recto), recipes (Pon el agua a hervir), requests and advice (Descansa un poco, Tenga cuidado). A bare command can sound abrupt, so Spanish softens it with por favor (Cierre la puerta, por favor) or puts the person's name in front: Marta, ven aquí.
Tú, usted or ustedes?
Decide by the person you are addressing, not by the sentence. A friend named Pablo: Pablo, abre la ventana. A client: Señora López, abra la ventana. A group of clients or students: Señores, abran la ventana. In Spain, ustedes is the formal plural; the informal plural is vosotros, and in Latin America ustedes covers both.
Vosotros and vos: recognise only
Friends in Madrid hear hablad, comed, escribid (vosotros, drop the -r of the infinitive and add -d). In Argentina, Uruguay and much of Central America, friends hear the vos forms hablá, comé, escribí. You do not need to produce them yet; tú, usted and ustedes work everywhere.
What is different from English
English has one form ("Speak!", "Come in!") for one person or many, friend or boss. In Spanish the form carries who you are talking to, so you must choose before you speak. "Let's go" is not this topic: it is a suggestion for "we" and has its own form. The negative command (no hables) and commands with pronouns (siéntate, dímelo) come later; ¡Dime! and ¡Oiga! are fixed phrases you can already recognise.
Spanish does not always use the imperative where English does. Written recipes and signs often use the infinitive (Cortar la cebolla, No fumar), and directions are often given in the present (Sigues recto y giras a la derecha). Both are correct, so they are not mistakes.
Examples
- Abre el libro en la página diez. Open the book to page ten.
- Ven a mi casa a las ocho, Pablo. Come to my house at eight, Pablo.
- Haz los ejercicios, por favor, Marta. Do the exercises, please, Marta.
- Pon el agua en la olla y espera cinco minutos. Put the water in the pot and wait five minutes.
- Diga su nombre, por favor, señora López. Say your name, please, Mrs López.
- Vuelva mañana por la mañana, señor. Come back tomorrow morning, sir.
- Señores, cierren la puerta, por favor. Gentlemen, please close the door.
- Ve a la panadería, Ana, y compra pan. Go to the bakery, Ana, and buy bread.
- Tenga, señora, su billete. Here is your ticket, madam.
- Escriban sus nombres aquí, por favor. Write your names here, please.
Common mistakes
Usted habla más despacio, por favor.Hable más despacio, por favor. a request needs the imperative, not the presentHace los ejercicios, Luis.Haz los ejercicios, Luis. hacer has its own tú formVa a la farmacia, Ana.Ve a la farmacia, Ana. the tú command of ir is veCerra la ventana, Luis.Cierra la ventana, Luis. the stem change staysEscribe su nombre, señora.Escriba su nombre, señora. usted needs the usted formHable más despacio, Marta.Habla más despacio, Marta. a friend is tú, not ustedCierra la puerta, señores.Cierren la puerta, señores. a group needs the -n form
Frequently asked questions
How do you form the Spanish imperative?
For tú use the él form of the present (habla, come, escribe). For usted take the yo form and use the opposite vowel (hable, coma, escriba), and add -n for ustedes (hablen, coman, escriban).
Why does hable end in -e if hablar has an a?
The usted and ustedes commands swap the vowel on purpose: -ar verbs take -e and -er and -ir verbs take -a. It is the same rule for every regular verb: hablar gives hable, comer gives coma.
What are the irregular tú imperatives in Spanish?
The seven to learn are di (decir), haz (hacer), pon (poner), sal (salir), ten (tener), ven (venir) and ve (ir); ser gives sé. The usted forms are regular from yo: diga, haga, ponga, salga, tenga, venga, with vaya for ir.
When do I use tú, usted or ustedes in commands?
Use tú for a friend, family member or colleague, usted for one person you treat formally, and ustedes for a group. Spanish speakers in Latin America use ustedes for friends too.
Is the imperative rude in Spanish?
It is normal for instructions, but a bare command can be blunt. Add por favor or the person's name: Cierra la ventana, por favor.
Can I use the infinitive or the present instead?
Yes, in some places. Recipes and signs often use the infinitive (Cortar la cebolla, No fumar), and directions the present (Sigues recto). To ask a named person to do something, use the imperative.