Lesson 9A1 Beginner
Mandatos e Instrucciones
Wordplay A1 Spanish Course
Lesson 9 · A1 Level · 60 min · English → Spanish
What We'll Cover Today
- Action Verbs & Routine~10 min
- Imperatives: Tú vs Usted~15 min
- Negative Commands~10 min
- Directions & Giving Instructions~10 min
- Speaking & Roleplay~10 min
- Review Quiz~5 min
Verbos de Acción (Action Verbs)
| Spanish | English | Pronunciation |
|---|---|---|
| hablar | to speak | ah-BLAR |
| comer | to eat | koh-MEHR |
| escribir | to write | es-kree-BEER |
| mirar | to look | mee-RAR |
| escuchar | to listen | es-koo-CHAR |
| entrar | to enter | en-TRAR |
| salir | to leave / go out | sah-LEER |
Mandatos: Tú (Informal)
Use informal commands with friends, family, and children.
Rule
Drop the "s" from the present tense "tú" form.
It looks exactly like the él/ella form!
| Verb | Tú Present | Tú Command |
|---|---|---|
| Hablar (to speak) | tú hablas | ¡Habla! |
| Comer (to eat) | tú comes | ¡Come! |
| Escribir (to write) | tú escribes | ¡Escribe! |
Example: ¡Come tu comida! (Eat your food!)
Mandatos: Usted (Formal)
Use formal commands with strangers, elders, or for respect.
Rule
Swap the vowel!
-AR verbs change to E. -ER/-IR verbs change to A.
| Verb | Usted Command | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Hablar (to speak) | ¡Hable! | ¡Hable más lento, por favor! |
| Comer (to eat) | ¡Coma! | ¡Coma su cena! |
| Escribir (to write) | ¡Escriba! | ¡Escriba su nombre aquí! |
Quick Check — Tú vs Usted
Tell the correct person what to do!
1. Tell your friend to look (mirar):
¡Mira!
2. Tell the police officer to look (mirar):
¡Mire!
3. Tell your child to listen (escuchar):
¡Escucha!
4. Tell the doctor to listen (escuchar):
¡Escuche!
Irregular Commands (Tú)
Some very common verbs have short, irregular informal commands.
Hacer (to do/make)
¡Haz! (Do it!)
Ir (to go)
¡Ve! (Go!)
Ser (to be)
¡Sé! (Be!)
Tener (to have)
¡Ten! (Have/Take!)
Venir (to come)
¡Ven! (Come!)
Decir (to say/tell)
¡Di! (Tell/Say!)
Tip: A fun mnemonic for these: "Ven di sal haz ten ve pon sé" (Vin Diesel has ten weapons, eh?)
Mandatos Negativos (Negative)
How to say "Don't do it!"
Formal
Just add "No" before the Usted command!
¡Hable! → ¡No hable!
Informal
Swap the vowel and add "s"! (Like negative formal + s)
¡Habla! → ¡No hables!
| Verb | Don't (Tú) | Don't (Usted) |
|---|---|---|
| Hablar | ¡No hables! | ¡No hable! |
| Comer | ¡No comas! | ¡No coma! |
Quick Check — Negative Commands
Tell them NOT to do it.
1. (Tú) Don't look! (mirar)
¡No mires!
2. (Usted) Don't look! (mirar)
¡No mire!
3. (Tú) Don't eat! (comer)
¡No comas!
4. (Usted) Don't write! (escribir)
¡No escriba!
Activity — Simón Dice (Simon Says)
Let's play Simon Says using informal commands (Tú)!
- ◆¡Simón dice: mira arriba! (Look up)
- ◆¡Simón dice: escucha! (Listen)
- ◆¡Escribe! (Write) (Uh oh, Simon didn't say it!)
- ◆¡Simón dice: no mires! (Don't look)
- ◆¡Simón dice: come! (Eat)
Teacher: Give commands to the class. If they do it without "Simón dice", they're out!
Direcciones (Directions)
| Spanish | English | Pronunciation |
|---|---|---|
| la izquierda | the left | ees-KYEHR-dah |
| la derecha | the right | deh-REH-chah |
| todo recto / adelante | straight ahead | TOH-doh REK-toh |
| la calle | the street | KAH-yeh |
| la cuadra | the block | KWAH-drah |
Dando Direcciones (Usted)
When asking for directions on the street, we usually use formal (Usted) commands.
| Verb | Usted Command | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Girar (to turn) | Gire | Gire a la izquierda. (Turn left.) |
| Seguir (to continue) | Siga | Siga todo recto. (Go straight.) |
| Cruzar (to cross) | Cruce | Cruce la calle. (Cross the street.) |
| Tomar (to take) | Tome | Tome la primera calle. (Take the first street.) |
Directions Practice
Tell the tourist where to go (use formal 'Usted' commands):
1. Go straight (seguir)
Siga todo recto.
2. Turn right (girar)
Gire a la derecha.
3. Cross the street (cruzar)
Cruce la calle.
4. Take the second street (tomar)
Tome la segunda calle.
Build the Sentence
Drag words to build: Sir, cross the street and turn left. (Formal)
Conversación — En la Calle
Turista: Perdón, ¿dónde está el museo? (Excuse me, where is the museum?)
Local: Está cerca. Siga todo recto por dos cuadras. (It's close. Go straight for two blocks.)
Turista: ¿Y luego? (And then?)
Local: Luego, gire a la izquierda. El museo está a la derecha. (Then, turn left. The museum is on the right.)
Turista: ¡Muchas gracias! (Thank you very much!)
Review Quiz (1/2)
1. What is the formal (Usted) command for "escuchar" (to listen)?
2. How do you tell a friend (Tú) to "eat" (comer)?
Review Quiz (2/2)
3. How do you say "Don't look!" to a friend (Tú - mirar)?
4. Tell a taxi driver (Usted) to turn right (girar):
¡Fin de la Lección 9!
You can now give instructions and directions in Spanish!
Notes
← → arrow keys