To give commands in Spanish, you need to follow some simple rules. These rules will change depending on whether you are talking to someone casually ("tú") or formally ("usted"). Let’s break down how to create positive and negative commands for both "tú" and "usted."

Positive Commands for Tú

When you want to tell someone what to do nicely using "tú," you change the verb a little bit. Here’s how:

• Hablar (to speak) → Habla (Speak)
• Comer (to eat) → Come (Eat)
• Escribir (to write) → Escribe (Write)

Negative Commands for Tú

For negative commands, we do things a bit differently. Here’s the easy way to make them:

1. Start with the present tense “yo” form of the verb.
2. Take off the "o" at the end.
3. Add the new ending: use -es for -ar verbs and -as for -er/-ir verbs.

Here are some examples:

• No hables (Don’t speak)
• No comas (Don’t eat)
• No escribas (Don’t write)

Positive Commands for Usted

When you tell someone what to do nicely using "usted," you also change the verb, but in a slightly different way.

Here are some examples:

• Hable (Speak)
• Coma (Eat)
• Escriba (Write)

Negative Commands for Usted

To create negative commands for "usted," just add "no" in front:

Examples:

• No hable (Don’t speak)
• No coma (Don’t eat)
• No escriba (Don’t write)

Quick Summary

Here’s a simple table to show the differences:

| Command Type | Tú (Positive) | Tú (Negative) | Usted (Positive) | Usted (Negative) | |----------------------|----------------|----------------|-------------------|-------------------| | How to Form | 3rd person | Subjunctive | Subjunctive | Subjunctive | | Example | Habla | No hables | Hable | No hable |

Irregular Verbs

Some common verbs can be tricky because they don’t follow the usual rules for positive "tú" commands. Here are a few:

• Decir (to say) → Di (Say)
• Hacer (to do/make) → Haz (Do/Make)
• Ir (to go) → Ve (Go)
• Tener (to have) → Ten (Have)
• Ser (to be) → Sé (Be)

Using Pronouns

When you give positive commands, put any object pronouns at the end of the verb:

• Háblame (Talk to me)
• Cómelo (Eat it)

But for negative commands, place the pronouns before the verb:

• No me hables (Don’t talk to me)
• No lo comas (Don’t eat it)

Learning these rules will help you speak Spanish more naturally in everyday situations. Practice these commands often, and soon it will all feel like second nature!