Commands In Spanish: A Definitive Guide For Beginners [2025]

"¡Habla!" "¡Come!" "¡Escucha!" Spanish commands are everywhere – in recipes, conversations, street signs, and songs. They're how you ask someone to pass the salt, give you directions, or help you out. And here's the good news: commands are one of the easiest and most practical parts of Spanish to learn.

In this beginner's guide, you'll learn how to tell someone to do something in Spanish, whether you're talking to a friend or a stranger. We'll cover everything from basic commands like "Speak!" and "Eat!" to polite requests that won't make you sound bossy.

What Are Commands in Spanish?

Commands, also known as the imperative mood (el imperativo in Spanish), are verb forms used to give direct orders, instructions, requests, or suggestions to someone.

Here's an important distinction: the imperative is not a tense but a mood. While tenses tell us when something happens (past, present, future), moods tell us the manner or attitude behind an action. Spanish has three moods:

1. Indicative – stating facts
2. Subjunctive – expressing desires, doubts, or hypotheticals
3. Imperative – giving commands and instructions

The good news? You already know many of the verb forms you'll need for commands! The imperative builds on conjugations you've likely already learned, making it easier to master than you might think.

20 Most Useful Spanish Commands (Learn These First!)

If you're short on time and just want to learn the commands you'll actually use every day, start here. These 20 commands will get you through most everyday situations – from traveling to ordering food to having basic conversations. Memorize these, and you'll already be ahead of the game!

Essential Everyday Commands

Pro tip: These are all informal (tú) commands for friends and family. To make them formal for strangers or bosses, you'll need to learn the usted forms covered later in this article. But if you're just starting out, memorizing these 20 will take you incredibly far!

When Do You Use Commands in Spanish?

Commands appear constantly in real-life Spanish conversations. Here are the most common situations where you'll use them:

1. Giving Direct Orders

When you need someone to do something, especially in situations involving authority:

• ¡Limpia tu habitación! – Clean your room!
• ¡Termina tu tarea! – Finish your homework!
• ¡Apaga el televisor! – Turn off the TV!

2. Making Requests

Politely asking someone to do something for you:

• Pásame la sal, por favor. – Pass me the salt, please.
• Cierra la puerta. – Close the door.
• Ayúdame con esto. – Help me with this.

3. Offering Advice or Suggestions

Giving recommendations or guidance:

• Estudia más si quieres aprobar. – Study more if you want to pass.
• Come más verduras. – Eat more vegetables.
• Descansa un poco. – Rest a little.

4. Giving Directions

Helping someone navigate or find their way:

• Gira a la derecha en la próxima calle. – Turn right at the next street.
• Sigue recto dos cuadras. – Go straight for two blocks.
• Cruza el puente. – Cross the bridge.

5. Writing Instructions or Recipes

Common in manuals, recipes, and how-to guides:

• Añade dos cucharadas de azúcar. – Add two tablespoons of sugar.
• Mezcla bien los ingredientes. – Mix the ingredients well.
• Hornea a 180 grados. – Bake at 180 degrees.

6. Extending Invitations

Inviting someone to do something:

• Ven a la fiesta esta noche. – Come to the party tonight.
• Únete a nosotros para cenar. – Join us for dinner.

7. Giving Permission

Allowing someone to do something:

• Entra, por favor. – Come in, please.
• Toma lo que necesites. – Take what you need.

Understanding Command Forms

Unlike English, which typically uses the same command form regardless of who you're addressing ("Speak!"), Spanish has different command forms depending on:

• How many people you're talking to (singular vs. plural)
• Your relationship with them (formal vs. informal)
• The region (Spain vs. Latin America)

Here's a quick overview of all the forms:

Key Points to Remember:

• Latin America uses ustedes for ALL plural situations (both formal and informal)
• Spain distinguishes between vosotros (informal) and ustedes (formal) for plural
• As a beginner, focus on mastering tú and usted first – these are the most essential

Now let's learn how to form each type of command!

Affirmative Commands: Telling Someone TO DO Something

Affirmative commands are positive instructions – telling someone what to do. Let's break down each form systematically.

Informal Tú Commands (Affirmative)

These are the commands you'll use most often with friends, family members, children, and people your age or younger.

The Formation Rule for Regular Verbs

Here's the simple rule: Use the third-person singular (él/ella) form of the present indicative.

That's it! You already know this form if you've studied the present tense.

Step-by-Step Formation:

1. Take the infinitive: hablar (to speak)
2. Conjugate for él/ella in the present tense: habla
3. That's your tú command: ¡Habla! (Speak!)

Let's look at examples with all three verb types:

-AR Verbs:

-ER Verbs:

-IR Verbs:

Practice Sentences:

• ¡Habla más despacio! – Speak more slowly!
• ¡Come las verduras! – Eat your vegetables!
• ¡Escribe tu nombre aquí! – Write your name here!
• ¡Abre la ventana! – Open the window!
• ¡Corre más rápido! – Run faster!

The 8 Irregular Affirmative Tú Commands

Here's where it gets tricky. Eight common verbs have irregular affirmative tú commands that don't follow the regular pattern. These are one-syllable commands that you simply need to memorize.

Here's the complete list for easy reference:

Practice Sentences with Irregular Commands:

• ¡Haz tu tarea ahora! – Do your homework now!
• ¡Ven aquí inmediatamente! – Come here immediately!
• ¡Di la verdad! – Tell the truth!
• ¡Sé amable con tu hermana! – Be kind to your sister!
• ¡Ten paciencia! – Have patience! / Be patient!
• ¡Sal de mi habitación! – Get out of my room!
• ¡Pon la mesa! – Set the table!
• ¡Ve a la tienda! – Go to the store!

Formal Usted Commands (Being Polite)

When you talk to strangers, bosses, elderly people, teachers, or customers, you need to use the formal "usted" form.

How to Form Usted Commands

This takes a few more steps, but there's a clear pattern:

Step 1: Start with the "I" form (yo) in the present tense
Step 2: Drop the -o at the end
Step 3: Add the opposite ending:

• -AR verbs → add -e
• -ER/-IR verbs → add -a

Examples with -AR Verbs:

hablar (to speak):

1. Yo hablo (I speak)
2. Drop the -o: habl-
3. Add -e: ¡Hable! (Speak! - formal)

comprar (to buy):

1. Yo compro (I buy)
2. Drop the -o: compr-
3. Add -e: ¡Compre! (Buy! - formal)

Examples with -ER and -IR Verbs:

comer (to eat):

1. Yo como (I eat)
2. Drop the -o: com-
3. Add -a: ¡Coma! (Eat! - formal)

escribir (to write):

1. Yo escribo (I write)
2. Drop the -o: escrib-
3. Add -a: ¡Escriba! (Write! - formal)

Common Usted Commands:

Verbs with Irregular "Yo" Forms

Some verbs have irregular "I" forms, which affects the command:

Completely Irregular Usted Commands:

A few verbs don't follow any pattern – just memorize these:

Practice Sentences:

• Hable más despacio, por favor. – Speak more slowly, please.
• Vaya a la derecha. – Go to the right.
• Tenga paciencia. – Have patience.
• Sea amable. – Be kind.
• Dé su nombre aquí. – Give your name here.

Plural Commands (Talking to Multiple People)

Ustedes Commands (You All)

In Latin America, ustedes is used for ALL plural situations (both formal and informal).
In Spain, ustedes is only for formal plural.

How to form it: Just add -n to the usted command!

Examples:

Practice:

• ¡Escuchen con atención! – Listen carefully! (you all)
• ¡Vengan aquí! – Come here! (you all)
• ¡Sean puntuales! – Be on time! (you all)

Vosotros Commands (Spain Only – Informal Plural)

If you're learning Spanish for Spain, you need vosotros for informal groups.

Note: If you're learning Latin American Spanish, you can skip this section!

How to form it: Replace the -r of the infinitive with -d

Examples:

Negative Commands: Telling Someone NOT to Do Something

Now let's learn how to say "Don't do that!" in Spanish.

The Big Rule

ALL negative commands use a different form – they use what's called the subjunctive.

For tú commands, this is especially important because the affirmative and negative are completely different!

How to Form Negative Tú Commands:

Step 1: Take the yo form in present tense
Step 2: Drop the -o
Step 3: Add the opposite ending + s:

• -AR verbs → add -es
• -ER/-IR verbs → add -as Step 4: Put "no" in front

Examples:

hablar (to speak):

1. Yo hablo
2. Drop -o: habl-
3. Add -es: hables
4. Add no: ¡No hables! (Don't speak!)

comer (to eat):

1. Yo como
2. Drop -o: com-
3. Add -as: comas
4. Add no: ¡No comas! (Don't eat!)

Side-by-Side Comparison:

Notice: The irregular verbs (haz, ve, ven) become regular in the negative!

Practice Sentences:

• ¡No hables tan rápido! – Don't speak so fast!
• ¡No comas eso! – Don't eat that!
• ¡No vayas allí! – Don't go there!
• ¡No hagas ruido! – Don't make noise!
• ¡No escribas en el libro! – Don't write in the book!

For Usted, Ustedes, and Vosotros:

Just add "no" in front of the regular command:

Usted:

• ¡Hable! → ¡No hable! (Don't speak - formal)
• ¡Vaya! → ¡No vaya! (Don't go - formal)

Ustedes:

• ¡Hablen! → ¡No hablen! (Don't speak - you all)
• ¡Vayan! → ¡No vayan! (Don't go - you all)

Vosotros (Spain):

• ¡Hablad! → ¡No habléis! (Don't speak - Spain)
• ¡Comed! → ¡No comáis! (Don't eat - Spain)

Adding "It," "Me," "Him" – Commands with Pronouns

This is one of the trickier parts, but it follows clear rules!

The Two Big Rules:

Rule 1 (Affirmative commands): Stick the pronoun TO THE END
Rule 2 (Negative commands): Put the pronoun BEFORE the verb

Examples with "it" (lo/la):

Affirmative (stick to end):

• Buy the book → Buy it = ¡Cómpralo! (compra + lo)
• Open the window → Open it = ¡Ábrela! (abre + la)
• Read the letter → Read it = ¡Léela! (lee + la)

Negative (put before):

• Don't buy it = ¡No lo compres! (no + lo + compres)
• Don't open it = ¡No la abras! (no + la + abras)
• Don't read it = ¡No la leas! (no + la + leas)

Quick Comparison:

When You Need Accent Marks:

When you attach pronouns to commands, you usually need an accent to keep the stress in the right place.

Examples:

• compra + lo = cómpralo (accent on CÓM)
• abre + la = ábrela (accent on Á)
• habla + me = háblame (accent on HÁ)

The rule: If the command has 2 or more syllables and you add a pronoun, add an accent where the stress was originally.

Reflexive Commands: "Get Up!" "Sit Down!" "Be Quiet!"

Reflexive verbs are super common in Spanish commands. These are verbs where you do something to yourself.

What Are Reflexive Verbs?

In the dictionary, reflexive verbs end in -se:

• levantarse = to get up (literally: to lift yourself)
• sentarse = to sit down (to seat yourself)
• lavarse = to wash yourself

Common Reflexive Verbs You'll Use:

Reflexive Pronouns:

Each person has a reflexive pronoun:

• me = myself
• te = yourself
• se = himself/herself/yourself (formal)
• nos = ourselves
• os = yourselves (Spain)

How to Use Them in Commands:

Affirmative (stick to end):

• Get up! = ¡Levántate! (levanta + te)
• Sit down! = ¡Siéntate! (sienta + te)
• Be quiet! = ¡Cállate! (calla + te)
• Go away! = ¡Vete! (ve + te)
• Stay! = ¡Quédate! (queda + te)

Negative (put before):

• Don't get up! = ¡No te levantes! (no + te + levantes)
• Don't sit down! = ¡No te sientes!
• Don't be quiet! = ¡No te calles!
• Don't go! = ¡No te vayas!
• Don't stay! = ¡No te quedes!

Common Mistake:

❌ ¡Levanta! = Wrong! (This means "Lift something!" not "Get up!")
✅ ¡Levántate! = Correct! (Get up!)

You MUST include the reflexive pronoun (te, se, etc.) with reflexive verbs!

Practice Comparison:

Formal Reflexive Commands:

Usted (formal):

• ¡Siéntese! = Sit down! (formal)
• ¡Levántese! = Get up! (formal)
• ¡Quédese! = Stay! (formal)

Negative:

• ¡No se siente! = Don't sit down! (formal)
• ¡No se levante! = Don't get up! (formal)

How to Sound Polite (Very Important!)

Direct commands can sound bossy or rude. Here's how to be polite in Spanish:

The Politeness Ladder:

Level 1 – Direct command (can sound rude with strangers):

• ¡Abre la ventana! = Open the window!

Level 2 – Turn it into a question:

• ¿Abres la ventana? = Will you open the window?

Level 3 – Use "can" (puedes/puede):

• ¿Puedes abrir la ventana? = Can you open the window?

Level 4 – Use "could" (podrías/podría) – MOST POLITE:

• ¿Podrías abrir la ventana? = Could you open the window?

More Examples:

Instead of: ¡Ayúdame! (Help me!)
Say: ¿Puedes ayudarme? (Can you help me?)
Or even better: ¿Podrías ayudarme, por favor? (Could you help me, please?)

Instead of: ¡Pasa la sal! (Pass the salt!)
Say: ¿Me pasas la sal, por favor? (Can you pass me the salt, please?)

Instead of: ¡Cierra la puerta! (Close the door!)
Say: ¿Podrías cerrar la puerta? (Could you close the door?)

Other Polite Phrases:

Using "favor" (favor):

• ¿Me haces un favor? = Can you do me a favor?
• Hágame el favor de esperar. = Please wait. (very formal)

Using "importar" (mind):

• ¿Te importa cerrar la puerta? = Do you mind closing the door?
• ¿Le importaría hablar más bajo? = Would you mind speaking more quietly? (formal)

Where to Practice Spanish Commands

The best way to master commands is through real Spanish content. Here's where commands appear constantly:

• Recipes – Spanish recipes are full of commands like "añade," "mezcla," "hornea"
• Cooking shows – Watch chefs give instructions
• Fitness videos – Exercise videos use tons of commands
• Instructions – How-to videos in Spanish
• TV shows – Listen for commands in conversations

Take Your Spanish to the Next Level

Ready to see and hear Spanish commands in action? Lingopie is the perfect place to learn Spanish through authentic TV shows and movies.

With Lingopie, you'll:

• Hear real commands in context from native speakers
• See subtitles in both Spanish and English to understand exactly what's being said
• Click any word for instant translations and grammar explanations
• Practice actively with interactive exercises based on what you watch
• Learn naturally by watching entertaining content you actually enjoy

Try Lingopie free and start learning Spanish commands through the shows you love!