Commands are used when you want to make a request for another or tell someone to do something. There are two styles of speech in Spanish, formal and informal. And this distinction also applies to commands. In this article, you will learn how to use and form formal commands in Spanish.
When to use Formal commands in Spanish
Formal commands should be used when you are talking with somebody you don't know very well or someone you want to express your respect (the elderly, your boss) or your politeness (strangers, doctors, etc). In case you are not sure whether you should use a formal or an informal command, use the formal one. This can help you avoid offense. If the person you are talking to want you to speak to them informally, they will say Tutéame or Puedes tutearme which both mean Use the ú form with me.
How to form a formal command in Spanish
- Formal commands are formed by using the third person form (usted and ustedes forms of verbs) of the present subjective.
To conjugate verbs into the subjective, you can follow the rules below:
- Start with the yo indicative present.
- Remove the -o ending.
- Add the following endings:
To -ar verbs: add -e (for a singular form Ud.), -en (for a plural form Uds.)
To -er and -ir verbs: add -a (for Ud.), -an (for Uds.)
This also applies to irregular verbs.
For example:
hablar - hable - hablen
comer - coma - coman
Hable Ud. más lentamente / Hablen Uds. más lentamente - Speak more slowly
- Make sure you use the correct form when speaking to one person or multiple people.
- The subject pronouns (Ud. and Uds) may or may not be used. However, by adding them to the sentence, you can add a degree of politeness to the command.
- Both affirmative and negative commands use the same verb forms. You just need to add no before the verb to form a negative formal command.
For example:
Coma Ud. - Eat
No coma Ud. - Don't eat
Por favor, venga. - Please come
Por favor, no venga. - Please don't come
It is easy to create and use formal commands in Spanish. By knowing how to make a formal command, you can avoid offense when speaking to someone you don't know well and to show your respect.