Informal Commands

Learn Spanish: Giving Informal Commands in Spanish

This learn Spanish grammar lesson is about learning how to give informal commands in Spanish. Informal commands are used under the same circumstances that you would refer to someone using "Tú" instead of "Usted." -- basically, all familiar situations such as among family members and friends, established colleagues, friends or classmates, etc., when addressing children, adoloscents or pets, and when a familar relationship has already been established between two or more people.

Informal (Tú) Affirmative Commands

Forming the informal affirmative command is quite easy. You are going to take the infinitive verb, drop the corresponding -ar, -er, or -ir ending and then add the corresponding present tense ending for él/ella. So in other words:

informal (tú) affirmative command = present tense él/ella conjugation

For example:

Informal commands are the same with irregular verbs. For example:

Dormir (to sleep) - ¡Duerme en tu cama! (Sleep in your bed!)
Devolver (to return something) - Devuelve el libro mañana (Return the book tomorrow)

Irregular Forms of the Informal (Tú) Command

There are 8 verbs that have irregular forms as an Affirmative Informal Command:

Informal (Tú) Negative Commands

Forming an informal negative command is not as easy as the affirmative command, but at least there aren't any irregular forms!

To form an informal negative command, you take the infinitive form of the verb, drop the corresponding -ar, -er, or -ir. If it is an -ar verb, then you will add "es" and if it is an -er or -ir verb, you will add "as."

So in other words, the informal negative command is the "Tú" form of the present subjunctive.