The imperative mood is used to give commands, make requests, or give instructions. Spanish has different command forms depending on who you're speaking to.
¡Habla español! (Speak Spanish! — to one person)
¡Hablen español! (Speak Spanish! — to a group)
Commands are essential for everyday communication—giving directions, making requests, and more.
To give a command to a friend or peer:
Regular -AR: Take the él/ella form and drop the -a
él habla → ¡Habla! (Speak!)
Regular -ER/-IR: Use the él/ella form directly
él come → ¡Come! (Eat!) | él vive → ¡Vive! (Live!)
Common irregular tú commands:
To tell someone NOT to do something:
Formula: no + tú form of present tense
¡No hables! (Don't speak!)
¡No comas! (Don't eat!)
¡No vivas aquí! (Don't live here!)
Key point: Negative tú commands use the subjunctive (tú form of present tense), not the regular tú command.
To give a command to someone you don't know well or in a formal situation:
Affirmative: Use the él/ella/usted form (present tense)
¡Hable español! (Speak Spanish! — formal singular)
¡Hablen español! (Speak Spanish! — plural)
Negative: no + usted/ustedes form
¡No hable aquí! (Don't speak here! — formal singular)
¡No hablen aquí! (Don't speak here! — plural)
Formal commands are used with teachers, doctors, customers in stores, etc.
¡Siéntate! (Sit down! — informal)
¡Siéntese! (Sit down! — formal)
¡Escucha! (Listen! — informal)
¡Escuchen! (Listen! — to a group)
¡Lee el libro! (Read the book! — informal)
¡Levanta la mano! (Raise your hand! — informal)
"Let's" commands: Use the nosotros form of the present subjunctive
¡Hablemos! (Let's speak!)
¡Comamos! (Let's eat!)
¡Vivamos juntos! (Let's live together!)
Making polite requests:
Por favor, ¡habla más lentamente! (Please, speak more slowly!)
¿Podrías ayudarme? (Could you help me?) — more polite than a direct command
Traps for English speakers
These are the errors English speakers make most often.