Negative commands in Spanish are essential for expressing prohibitions, giving advice, and making requests. Regular verbs follow consistent patterns based on their subjunctive forms. Let’s dive in and learn how to use them!
Forming Negative Commands
Forming negative commands is straightforward:
- Start with “no”: This indicates the negative nature of the command.
- Use the present subjunctive form of the verb: This is the key to conjugating negative commands correctly.
This structure applies to all subject pronouns, even “tú,” which is different from affirmative commands.
General Conjugation Pattern
While specifics vary by verb type (-ar, -er, -ir), the general pattern is:
- tú: no + [subjunctive form]
- usted: no + [subjunctive form]
- nosotros: no + [subjunctive form]
- vosotros: no + [subjunctive form]
- ustedes: no + [subjunctive form]
Examples in Action
- hablar (to speak):
- tú: No hables tan alto. (Don’t speak so loudly.)
- usted: No hable con la boca llena. (Don’t speak with your mouth full.)
- comer (to eat):
- nosotros: No comamos antes de nadar. (Let’s not eat before swimming.)
- ustedes: No coman demasiado rápido. (Don’t eat too quickly.)
- escribir (to write):
- tú: No escribas en los libros de la biblioteca. (Don’t write in the library books.)
- vosotros: No escribáis tan pequeño, no puedo leerlo. (Don’t write so small, I can’t read it.)
Usage Notes
- Versatility: Negative commands are used for various purposes:
- Giving advice: No bebas agua del grifo en algunos países. (Don’t drink tap water in some countries.)
- Expressing prohibitions: No fumes en esta área. (Don’t smoke in this area.)
- Making requests: No llegues tarde, por favor. (Don’t arrive late, please.)
- Reflexive Verbs: Place the reflexive pronoun before the verb: No te levantes tarde. (Don’t get up late.)
- Object Pronouns: Place object pronouns before the verb: No lo hagas. (Don’t do it.)
- Irregular Verbs: Remember that some common verbs have irregular negative commands that need to be learned separately.
Synonyms:
- English: Regular Negative Imperative, Negative Commands, Negative Imperatives, Prohibitive Imperatives Verbs
- Spanish: Verbos Regulares en Mandatos Negativos, Imperativos Negativos, Prohibiciones, Órdenes Negativas, Comandos Negativos, Subjuntivo Negativo, Presente de Subjuntivo Negativo, Imperativo Negativo