Informal Commands ("tú") - StudySpanish.com (2024)

FAQs

What are informal tú commands? ›

Informal, or familiar, speech is used among friends, coworkers, relatives, or when addressing a child. The affirmative informal (tú) commands are formed the same way as the present indicative Ud. form: (hablar – ar + a = habla) (comer – er + e = come)

Informal commands also have irregulars. A good mnemonic device to remember them is “Ven Diesel has ten weapons.” The irregular forms of the verbs are ven, di, sal, haz, ten, ve, pon, sé. The infinitives associated with the irregular forms are venir, decir, salir, hacer, tener, ir, poner, and ser.

I To form the POSITIVE command take the Tú form of the present tense verb and drop the final "s". Example: Tú hablas = ¡ Habla ! Tú pierdes = ¡Pierde ! Tú comes = ¡ Come !

The singular “you” form can be formal (usted) or informal ( tú or vos). The forms for tú and vosotros have one form in the negative and another in the affirmative. Object and reflexive pronouns go in front of the verb if the command is negative or attached to the command if affirmative.

Irregular Tú Commands

These don't follow the regular command rule of using the 3rd person singular (él, ella, usted) form for affirmative orders. They also do not follow the negative pattern of putting the verb in the yo form and adding a -es ending to -ar verbs or a -as ending to -er / -ir verbs.

But first there are, of course, some verbs that have an irregular form for affirmative tú commands. There are very few irregular affirmative tú commands that are not identical to the present tense él form of the verb.

In Spanish, you conjugate verbs by changing the ending. If the subject is I (yo), conjugate by dropping the ending and add -o. If the subject is you – informal (tú), conjugate by dropping the ending and add -as (for -ar verbs) or -es (for -er and -ir verbs).

How to do positive and negative tu commands in Spanish? ›

drop the -o, add the opposite ending plus an s. So, in making a negative tú command with an–ar verb, you add the vowel –e, , plus an s. In making a negative tú command with an –er or –ir, you add the vowel –a, plus an s.

Tú is the informal counterpart to usted. The plural of tú is vosotros and vosotras, but that's mainly used in Spain. The object pronoun for tú is te (used to simplify sentences like “I called you,” so that llamado a tú becomes te llamado.).

Informal commands are used for friends, family, and children. Formal commands are used for elders, employees, authority figures, and people you don't know.