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GRAMÁTICA

Mandatos Formales, Plurales y de Nosotros

El modo imperativo · Ud., Uds. y nosotros

Telling someone what to do, formally, telling a group what to do, or suggesting doing something together, all three borrow their endings from the subjuntivo. Learn the pattern once, use it everywhere.

START HERE

Who is each command for?

1

Mandato formal · Ud.

One person, in a formal or professional situation.

Señora, respete el horario.
Ma'am, respect the schedule.
2

Mandato plural · Uds.

A group of people, two or more, formal or not.

Chicos, respeten el horario.
Guys, respect the schedule.
3

Mandato nosotros

A suggestion to do something together. Corresponds to "Let's" in English.

Respetemos el horario.
Let's respect the schedule.
HOW TO FORM IT

Three steps, one pattern

Ud., Uds., and nosotros commands are all built the same way, and they all use the same conjugations as the subjunctive.

1

Piensa "yo"

Start with the present-tense yo form of the verb.

2

Quita la "o"

Drop the -o to get the command stem.

3

Usa la terminación opuesta

-ar verbs add -e endings. -er / -ir verbs add -a endings.

hablar
infinitive
→
hablo
yo form
→
habl-
drop the o
→
hable / hablen / hablemos
Ud. / Uds. / nosotros
REFERENCE

Regular, stem-change & spelling-change verbs

InfinitivoUd.Uds.Nosotros
hablarto speak, regular -arhablehablenhablemos
comerto eat, regular -ercomacomancomamos
escribirto write, regular -irescribaescribanescribamos
pensarto think, e→iepiensepiensenpensemos
pedirto ask for, e→ipidapidanpidamos
dormirto sleep, o→ue/uduermaduermandurmamos
buscarto look for, c→qubusquebusquenbusquemos
llegarto arrive, g→gulleguelleguenlleguemos
cruzarto cross, z→ccrucecrucencrucemos
-car, -gar, -zar verbs need a spelling change before an -e ending, to keep the sound the same: c→qu, g→gu, z→c. This happens in every column, Ud., Uds., and nosotros.
THE IRREGULARS

Verbs that don't end in -o in the yo form

These five don't follow the drop-the-o rule, so they just have to be memorized.

InfinitivoUd.Uds.Nosotros
saberto knowsepasepansepamos
irto govayavayanvamos**
darto givedédendemos
estarto beestéesténestemos
serto beseaseanseamos
Dé carries an accent so it isn't confused with the word de (of/from). **Ir is explained below, it's the one exception on this whole page.
GOOD TO KNOW

The exceptions worth remembering

-AR / -ER VERBS, NOSOTROS

No stem change in the we-command

Stem-changing -ar and -er verbs lose the stem change in the nosotros command.

encender (e→ie) → (no) encendamos
Let's (not) turn on
jugar (u→ue) → (no) juguemos
Let's (not) play
-IR VERBS, NOSOTROS

But -ir verbs do change

-ir stem-changers keep a change in the nosotros command, e→i or o→u.

pedir (e→i) → (no) pidamos
Let's (not) ask for
dormir (o→ue) → (no) durmamos
Let's (not) sleep
IR IS THE ODD ONE OUT

The only verb with two different nosotros forms

Every other verb uses the same base form for both affirmative and negative nosotros commands, just add no. Ir doesn't.

Vamos al cine.
Let's go to the movies. (affirmative, irregular)
No vayamos al cine.
Let's not go to the movies. (negative, regular pattern)
FORM IT

Regular verbs, all three forms

Read the subject and infinitive in [brackets], then type the matching command.

NOW THE TRICKY ONES

Stem-change, spelling-change & irregulars

Same idea, but watch for the exceptions from the sections above.

QUICK QUIZ

Pick the right command

Question 1 of 8 Score: 0
hablar (Ud.)
Señor, ____ más despacio.
Sir, speak more slowly.
PRO TIPS

5 ways to make it stick