Mastering Polite Commands in Spanish: Usted and ustedes

In this post we’ll look at polite commands in Spanish. A command, or an imperative, is the form of the verb that you use when you ask or tell someone to do something. Polite commands in Spanish are the forms that you use with people you address as usted in the singular, or ustedes in the plural. The ustedes command forms are also used for informal commands in Latin America, so if you’re learning Latin American Spanish, you use the same ustedes commands whether you’re talking to a group of older strangers or a group of your friends. (In Spain, you’d use the vosotros commands for your friends.) If you want to learn about tú commands, check out this post.

First, we’ll start with their forms, and then we’ll see some examples. After that we’ll look at negative commands. Next we’ll see a few irregular command forms. Then we’ll look at how to use object pronouns with commands. We’ll include practice exercises throughout.

How to Form Polite Commands in Spanish

Polite commands are based on the present subjunctive. If that word makes you panic, don’t worry! It’s easy to form the commands, even if you don’t know how to use the subjunctive. The key is using the “opposite” vowel in the endings. You know that regular –ar verbs end in –a in the usted form, and –an in the ustedes form. And that regular –ir and –er verbs end in –e in the usted form, and –en in the ustedes form. To make the command forms, or subjunctive, just switch the vowels: -e and –en for –ar verbs, and –a and –an for –ir and –er verbs.

The only other thing you have to remember is that you start with the yo form of the verb. This form sometimes has a slightly different base, for example pongo from poner (to put), or salgo from salir (to leave, to go out) conduzco from conducir (to drive). And if it’s a stem changing verb, it will show up here too, for example pienso from pensar (to think), or cierro from cerrar (to close). These irregularities show up in the commands and subjunctive.

To summarize:

1. Start with the yo form of the verb in the present indicative tense.
2. Remove the final -o from the yo form.
3. Add the appropriate opposite ending:
   For -ar verbs, use -e in the singular and –en in the plural.
   For -er and -ir verbs, use -a in the singular and –an in the plural.

Examples of Polite Commands in Spanish

Let’s walk through a few examples:

• hablar (to speak):
  yo form: hablo → Remove -o → Add -e(n) → hable, hablen (speak)
• comer (to eat):
  yo form: como → Remove -o → Add -a(n) → coma, coman (eat)
• escribir (to write):
  yo form: escribo → Remove -o → Add -a(n) → escriba, escriban (write)
• ver (to see):
  yo form: veo → Remove -o → Add -a(n) → vea, vean (see)
• poner (to put):
  yo form: pongo → Remove -o → Add -a(n) → ponga, pongan (put)
• salir (to leave, go out):
  yo form: salgo → Remove -o → Add -a(n) → salga, salgan (leave, go out)
• conducir (to drive):
  yo form: conduzco → Remove -o → Add -a(n) → conduzca, conduzcan (drive)

Negative Commands

To make commands negative, all you have to do is put no in front of the command form.

• No hable. No hablen.
  Don’t speak.
• No ponga. No pongan.
  Don’t put.
• No coma. No coman.
  Don’t eat.

Practice 1

Give the affirmative and negative usted and ustedes command forms of the following verbs:

1. trabajar (to work)
2. beber (to drink)
3. abrir (to open)
4. decir (to say)
5. pensar (to think)
6. venir (to come)
7. hacer (to do)
8. tener (to have)
9. poner (to put)
10. cerrar (to close)
11. escribir (to write)
12. limpiar (to clean)
13. leer (to read)
14. traer (to bring)
15. oír (to hear)
16. traducir (to translate)

Irregular Commands

As you’ve seen, there are some irregularities in polite commands in Spanish that are completely predictable if you know the yo form of the verb. For example, from salir you have the g in salgo and the commands salga and salgan. From pensar you have the stem change in pienso and the commands piense and piensen. But there are just a handful of verbs with irregularities that you can’t predict from the yo form, at least not without knowing the subjunctive. 

• ir (to go): vaya, vayan
• ser (to be): sea, sean
• saber (to know): sepa, sepan
• estar (to be): esté, estés
• dar (to give): dé, den

Notice that you remove the accent from dé when you make it plural: den.

Polite Commands in Spanish with Pronouns

If you have a direct object pronoun, an indirect object pronoun, or a reflexive pronoun, you must attach it to the end of the affirmative command form. In many cases you’ll need to add an accent to retain the proper stress. In negative commands, put the pronoun between no and the verb.

• diga (say) + me (me) = dígame, no me diga, díganme, no me digan
• haga (do) + lo (it) = hágalo, no lo haga, háganlo, no lo hagan
• compre (buy) + los (them) = cómprelos, no los compre, cómprenlos, no los compren
• dar (give) + me (me) = deme, no me dé, denme, no me den
  (Note that you do not need the accent on deme.)
• diga (say) + le (her) + lo (it) = dígaselo, no se lo diga, díganselo, no se lo digan
  (Note that le becomes se before lo. See this post on double objects for more information.)
• haga (do) + nos (to/for us) = hágano, no nos haga, háganos, no nos hagan
• lave (wash) + se (yourself) = lávese, no se lave, lávense, no se laven
• siente (sit) + se (yourself) = siéntese, no se siente, siéntense, no se sienten

Practice 2

Below are 20 statements with usted or ustedes subjects. Transform each statement into its corresponding affirmative or negative command, and then translate. The answers are given below.

1. Usted trabaja en silencio.
2. Ustedes escriben las respuestas.
3. Usted no abre la ventana.
4. Ustedes no escuchan música aquí.
5. Usted limpia la mesa después de comer.
6. Ustedes no hablan a sus amigos durante la reunión. (Use an indirect object pronoun.)
7. Usted piensa en la solución.
8. Ustedes leen el libro en voz alta. (Use a direct object pronoun.)
9. Usted no sale sin permiso.
10. Ustedes no comen en el salón de clase.
11. Usted cierra la puerta, por favor.
12. Ustedes estudian para el examen.
13. Usted trae el documento al gerente. (Use a direct object pronoun.)
14. Ustedes no pierden sus llaves.
15. Usted dice la verdad siempre.
16. Ustedes tienen paciencia con los niños.
17. Usted se sienta en esa silla.
18. Ustedes no se preocupan por el problema.
19. Usted hace la tarea ahora mismo. (Use a direct object pronoun)
20. Ustedes ponen los libros en la mesa. (Use a direct object pronoun)

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Answers

Practice 1

1. trabajar (to work): trabaje, no trabaje, trabajen, no trabajen
2. beber (to drink): beba, no beba, beban, no beban
3. abrir (to open): abra, no abra, abran, no abran
4. decir (to say): diga, no diga, digan, no digan
5. pensar (to think): piense, no piense, piensen, no piensen
6. venir (to come): venga, no venga, vengan, no vengan
7. hacer (to do): haga, no haga, hagan, no hagan
8. tener (to have): tenga, no tenga, tengan, no tengan
9. poner (to put): ponga, no ponga, pongan, no pongan
10. cerrar (to close): cierre, no cierre, cierren, no cierren
11. escribir (to write): escriba, no escriba, escriban, no escriban
12. limpiar (to clean): limpe, no limpie, limpien, no limpien
13. leer (to read): lea, no lea, lean, no lean
14. traer (to bring): traiga, no traiga, traigan, no traigan
15. oír (to hear): oiga, no oiga, oigan, no oigan
16. traducir (to translate): traduzca, no traduzca, traduzcan, no traduzcan

Practice 2

1. Trabaje en silencio. Work in silence.
2. Escriban las respuestas. Write the answers.
3. No abra la ventana. Don’t open the window.
4. No escuchen música aquí. Don’t listen to music here.
5. Limpie la mesa después de comer. Clean the table after eating.
6. No les hablen durante la reunión. Don’t speak to them during the meeting.
7. Piense en la solución. Think about the solution.
8. Léanlo en voz alta. Read it out loud.
9. No salga sin permiso. Don’t leave without permission.
10. No coman en el salón de clase. Don’t eat in the classroom.
11. Cierre la puerta, por favor. Close the door, please.
12. Estudien para el examen. Study for the exam.
13. Tráigalo al gerente. Bring it to the manager.
14. No pierdan sus llaves. Don’t lose your keys.
15. Diga la verdad siempre. Always tell the truth.
16. Tengan paciencia con los niños. Have patience with the children.
17. Siéntese en esa silla. Sit down in that chair.
18. No se preocupen por el problema. Don’t worry about the problem.
19. Hágala ahora mismo. Do it right now.
20. Pónganlos en la mesa. Put them on the table.

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