Spanish commands: habla, no hables, and why they change
Do it, don’t do it, and the one form that breaks the pattern
Commands tell someone to do something, or not to. Spanish has a command form for tú, usted, nosotros (“let’s”) and ustedes, plus vosotros in Spain. There is none for yo, and none for ellos or ellas: you cannot command yourself alone, or people who are not there.
The surprise is how much of it you already know if you know the Present Subjunctive: nearly every command form is one. The one that is not is the positive tú command, habla, speak!, and in Spain the positive vosotros command, hablad.
habla
Positive tú: do it!
- Usually matches the él / ella present
- Some short irregulars: ven, di, haz, ten, pon, sal, sé, ve
¡Habla más despacio!Speak more slowly!
no hables
Negative tú: don’t!
- Present Subjunctive form
- no goes in front
¡No hables tan rápido!Don’t speak so fast!
On this page
What are the command forms?
| Person | Command |
|---|---|
| tú (+) | hablaspeak! |
| tú (−) | no hablesdon’t speak! |
| usted (+ / −) | hablespeak! (Ud.) |
| nosotros (+ / −) | hablemoslet’s speak! |
| ustedes (+ / −) | hablenspeak! (you all) |
Usted, nosotros and ustedes have no separate negative form: the same form serves both, and you just add no in front. Only tú has a distinct negative, and vosotros in Spain.
Why do most commands look like the subjunctive?
The one thing to remember
Nearly every command is the Present Subjunctive: every negative command, and every usted, nosotros and ustedes command, positive or negative. Only the positive tú command is not, and in Spain the positive vosotros command, hablad.
So hable, hablemos, hablen and no hables are all Present Subjunctive forms of hablar. Learn one set, and you have most of the commands as well. There is one exception to know: the positive nosotros command of ir is vamos, or vámonos, let’s go.
How do you make the tú command?
The positive tú command usually matches the third person of the Present Simple: habla, as in él habla. Many common verbs have a short irregular form instead, and they are worth learning as a set: ven, di, haz, ten, pon, sal, sé, ve.
Two verbs are not used as commands at all: poder and deber. You cannot tell someone to “be able to” or “must”. Saber is rarely used as one.
Where do the pronouns go?
With a reflexive verb like levantarse, to get up, the command shows the rule clearly.
levántate
Positive: pronoun on the end
- Usually with a written accent
- levanta + te = levántate, levante + se = levántese
¡Levántate!Get up!
no te levantes
Negative: no and pronoun in front
- no + te + verb
- no se levante, no se levanten
no te levantesdon’t get up!
The same goes for any pronoun: ¡Ponte la chaqueta, hace frío afuera!, put on your jacket, it is cold outside. The negative moves the pronoun in front: no te pongas.
What changes in Spain?
Spain adds vosotros, the informal command to a group. The positive is formed from the infinitive: drop the -r, add -d, so hablar gives hablad, speak! The negative is no habléis, don’t speak! In Latin America, ustedes covers any group, friends and family too: hablen.
How nemiria teaches this
Commands have their own table in nemiria for every verb, positive and negative side by side, and a card that explains them rule by rule, with tap-to-hear audio on every form. Commands are part of the free Foundation level.
How to practise
Learn the eight short tú commands as a set. Ven, di, haz, ten, pon, sal, sé, ve. Many common verbs use them.
Pair every positive with its negative. Habla and no hables, levántate and no te levantes. Saying them together trains both the form and the pronoun move.
Read next
Commands are part of nemiria’s free Foundation level. Get it on the App Store.