Informal commands are used when you want to tell someone to do something whom you would normally speak to informally.
Here are some sample verbs put into the affirmative ("Do this") and negative ("Don't do this") informal command forms.
| Form | Conjugation | Translation |
|---|---|---|
| Tú affirmative |
Lee este libro. Estudia este texto. Pon atención |
Read this book. Study this text. Pay attention. |
| Tú negative |
No leas ese libro. No estudies ese texto. No pongas atención. |
Don't read that book. Don't study that text. Don't pay attention. |
Affirmative means you are telling someone TO do something.
For most verbs, use the singular third person form of the present tense (or the Usted form). You can also think of it as using the Tú form but taking off the -S...same thing.
Write your name. = Escribe tu nombre. → escribir goes to escribe for the Usted form in the present tense
Learn the irregular informal command verbs. These all do their own thing and have to be memorized.
decir → di hacer → haz ir → ve poner → pon
salir → sal ser → sé tener → ten venir → ven
Do your homework. = Haz la tarea.
Negative means you are telling someone NOT TO do something.
Negative tú commands look just like present subjunctive. The steps to form them are:
1. Start with the present tense YO form
2. Take off the -O
3. Add the "opposite" ending from present tense. This means -AR verbs will get -ES as an ending and -ER/-IR verbs will get -AS. This feel opposite to the normal pattern.
Don't write on the paper. = No escribas en el papel.
Don't talk. = No hables.