Imperativo Afirmativo: All Spanish Affirmative Command Forms
The imperativo afirmativo (affirmative command) in Spanish uses unique forms for each pronoun. For tú regular verbs, use the él/ella present indicative form: '¡Habla!' For usted, use the present subjunctive: '¡Hable!' For nosotros: '¡Hablemos!' For vosotros, replace the -r of the infinitive with -d: '¡Hablad!' For ustedes, use the present subjunctive: '¡Hablen!' Object pronouns attach to the end of the verb: '¡Dímelo!'
How to form the imperativo afirmativo
Regular affirmative forms by pronoun: tú = él/ella present indicative · usted = present subjunctive · nosotros = present subjunctive · vosotros = infinitive with final -r replaced by -d · ustedes = present subjunctive. Several common verbs have irregular tú forms: di (decir), haz (hacer), ve (ir), pon (poner), sal (salir), sé (ser), ten (tener), ven (venir).
| Pronoun | hablar | comer | vivir |
|---|---|---|---|
| tú | habla | come | vive |
| usted | hable | coma | viva |
| nosotros | hablemos | comamos | vivamos |
| vosotros | hablad | comed | vivid |
| ustedes | hablen | coman | vivan |
When to use the imperativo afirmativo
- Direct commands: '¡Escucha!' (Listen!)
- Polite imperatives with usted/ustedes: 'Pase, por favor.' (Please come in.)
- Suggestions with nosotros (let's…): '¡Vamos!' (Let's go!)
- Recipes and instructions: 'Añade dos huevos.' (Add two eggs.)
- With object pronouns attached: 'Llámame mañana.' (Call me tomorrow.)
Imperativo Afirmativo with hablar
| Person / verb | Form | Example (Spanish) | Translation (English) |
|---|---|---|---|
| tú | habla | Habla más alto, por favor. | Speak louder, please. |
| usted | hable | Hable con el director, por favor. | Please speak with the director. |
| nosotros | hablemos | Hablemos del proyecto mañana. | Let's talk about the project tomorrow. |
| vosotros | hablad | Hablad despacio, por favor. | Speak slowly, please. |
| ustedes | hablen | Hablen entre ustedes. | Talk among yourselves. |
Common mistakes
Irregular tú commands
Eight common verbs have one-syllable irregular tú commands: di, haz, ve, pon, sal, sé, ten, ven. Memorize these — they appear constantly.
Object pronouns attach with an accent
When you attach object pronouns to a verb of two or more syllables, add a written accent: 'cómpralo', 'dímelo', 'llámame'.
vosotros = infinitive → -d
'hablar → hablad', 'comer → comed', 'vivir → vivid'. The reflexive form drops the -d: 'sentaos' (not 'sentados').
Imperativo Afirmativo — frequently asked
- How do you form an affirmative command in Spanish?
- Affirmative commands have unique forms per pronoun. For tú with regular verbs, use the third-person singular present indicative ('habla'). For usted/ustedes use the present subjunctive ('hable', 'hablen'). For vosotros, replace the infinitive -r with -d ('hablad'). For nosotros use the present subjunctive ('hablemos').
- What are the 8 irregular tú affirmative commands in Spanish?
- di (decir), haz (hacer), ve (ir), pon (poner), sal (salir), sé (ser), ten (tener), ven (venir). These are the most common irregular tú imperatives and you'll hear them daily in spoken Spanish.
- What is the difference between imperativo afirmativo and imperativo negativo?
- Affirmative commands have unique forms per pronoun and attach object pronouns to the verb. Negative commands are identical to the present subjunctive and place object pronouns before the verb. Example: 'dímelo' (tell me, affirmative) vs 'no me lo digas' (don't tell me, negative).
- How do you say 'let's go' in Spanish?
- Use the nosotros affirmative imperative: '¡Vamos!' (let's go), or the present subjunctive form '¡Vayamos!' which is more formal. 'Vamos' is overwhelmingly more common in everyday Spanish.
- Where do object pronouns go in affirmative Spanish commands?
- Attached to the end of the verb. Example: 'Cómpralo' (buy it), 'Dímelo' (tell me it). When you attach pronouns to a multi-syllable verb, you usually add a written accent to preserve the original stress.
Keep going
Continue with the directly related tense, verb, and comparison pages.