(MEDC) - Gramática: Los Mandatos Lesson

Gramática: Los Mandatos

Spanish commands, otherwise known as imperatives, are verb forms used to directly address someone and give them an order.  

Usted and Ustedes Mandatos: Formal Commands  

Let's begin the studies of formal commands by watching this video lesson. Be prepared to take notes. You can pause this video lesson at any time.  Please watch the following video.

 

Usted  and ustedes  commands are used in situations where you would tell someone or a group of people with whom you have a formal or respectful relationship to do something. These commands are a good place to start because they're the easiest and also because it's better to treat someone as  usted  when you're supposed to use  tú  than the other way around. Also, outside of Spain (where  vosotros  is used), the only way to command a group of people is to use an  ustedes  command.  

Affirmative Usted and Ustedes Commands

To change a verb into an affirmative usted or ustedes command simply use the appropriate subjunctive conjugation:

Affirmative usted or ustedes commands chart. Heading from left to right hablar, corer, repetir. Chart left to right usted, hable, corra, repita, ustedes, hablen, corran, repitan

 

There are no irregular  usted  or  ustedes  commands. However, there are many irregular subjunctive conjugations that would be useful to remember. A few of them:  

Irregular subjunctive conjugations chart. Heading from left to right, dar, ser, ir. Chart left to right, usted, dé, sea, vaya, ustedes, den, sean, vayan

Negative Usted and Ustedes Commands

Usted  or  ustedes  commands are easy to change into negative commands (where you tell someone  not  to do something). Simply add  no:

Negative usted or ustedes commands chart. Headings from left to right, hablar, correr, repetir. Chart left to right, usted, no hable, no corra, no repita, ustedes, no habien, no corran, no repitan

Usted and Ustedes Review Activity

Please complete the following review activity. Práctica con los mandatos 'usted' y 'ustedes.'

Indirect Commands

Indirect commands are often used for giving commands  through a third party or to an unspecified recipient. You'll see them used in signs, instructions, and recipes. There are two kinds of indirect commands: que commands and infinitive commands.  

Que Commands

Que Command Formula is que plus present subjunctive

 

Here are some examples of que commands. Notice how they follow the above formula.

Que  pase.

Let him in.

Que me llamen.

Have them call me.

Que tenga un bien día.

Have a good day.

Que no vea mi madre.

Don't let my mom see.

Que ponga Anita la camisa negra.

Have Anita wear the black shirt.

Que lo haga.

Have him do it.

 

Vamos a Practicar: Indirect Commands

Please complete the following activity on indirect commands.

 

Infinitive Commands

Now, this is very simple:     

  • To form an  affirmative infinitive command, simply use the infinitive. Don't conjugate anything!  
  • To form a  negative infinitive command, simply use the word  no  and the infinitive. Once again, don't conjugate anything!  

Forming affirmative and negative command icon examples with sentences below each image from left to right. Image of salad ingredients going into a bowl. Mix the ingredients in a bowl. Mezclar los ingredients en un tazón. Image of a cigarette with a line through it and words No Fumar. No smoking. No fumar. Image of two people talking with notes above their heads. See the notes below. Ver laas notas abajo. Image of mixer with bowl and eggs, and bowl with eggs. Beat the eggs. Batin los huevos.

 

Práctica en Contexto

Commands are used for public messages and commercials. Try to recognize commands in the following video.

 

Review commands conjugation rules one more time before you complete the activities:

Command conjugation chart. Heading left to right entrar, mover, introducer, divertirse. Chart left to right. Tú, entra, mueve, introduce diviértete, usted él ella, entre, mueva, introduzca, diviértase, vosotros, entrad, moved, introducid, divertidos, ustedes ellos ellas, entren, muevan introduzcan, diviértanse

And we also have some irregular verbs, for example:

Irregular verbs chart. Heading left to right, hacer, venir. Chart left to right, tú, haz, ven, usted él ella, haga, venga, vosotros, haced, venid, usted ellos ellas, hagan, vengan

 

Conjugation chart for, left to right, decir poner, tener, salir. Chart left to right, tú, di, pon, ten, sal, usted él ella, diga, ponga, tenga, salga, vosotros, decid, poned, tened, salid, ustedes ellos ellas, digan, pongan, tengan, salgan

 

 

RESOURCES IN THIS MODULE ARE OPEN EDUCATIONAL RESOURCES (OER) OR CREATED BY GAVS UNLESS OTHERWISE NOTED. SOME IMAGES USED UNDER SUBSCRIPTION.