Los mandatos formales

Formal commands are used to tell someone to do something whom you would normally address with Usted forms.

Here are some sample verbs put into the formal command forms. You'll notice they all use the present subjunctive forms.

Form Conjugation Translation
Usted(es) affirmative

Lea(n) este libro.

Estudie(n) este texto.

Ponga(n) atención

Read this book.

Study this text.

Pay attention.
Usted(es) negative

No lea(n) este libro.

No estudie(n) este texto.

No ponga(n) atención

Don't read that book.

Don't study that text.

Don't pay attention.

Formation of formal commands

Notice I don't need to separate out my instructions for affirmative and negative here. Negative formal commands just include a "no", just like you're used to in making sentences.

All formal 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 -E/-EN as an ending and -ER/-IR verbs will get -A/-AN. This feels opposite to the normal pattern.

Don't write on the paper. = No escriba en el papel.

  1. Take escribir in the YO form = yo escribo
  2. Remove the -O = escrib-
  3. Add -A because it's an -IR verb = escriba

Don't talk. = No hable.

  1. Take hablar in the YO form = yo hablo
  2. Remove the -O = habl-
  3. Add -E because it's an -AR verb = hable

The examples above are in singular form - meaning I'm telling one person to do something. If I'm talking to more than one person, it's plural and will have the -AN or -EN ending.

Do your homework, everyone. = Hagan la tarea todos.

  1. Take hacer in the YO form = yo hago
  2. Remove the -O = hag-
  3. Add -AN because it's an -IR verb and talking to multiple people = hagan