Mandatos formales, modo imperativo (Formal Commands, Imperative Mood)

(See alt text in this document)

As you have previously learned, in Spanish there is a formal and informal speech that is used depending on who you are interacting with or in the context in which you find yourself. We use formal speech (usted pronoun) to address someone with whom we are not familiar, to show respect to the elderly, or with superiors in a professional or formal setting. So what are formal commands?

Formal commands are verb forms used to give instructions, orders, or requests in a polite and respectful manner. These commands correspond to the usted form in Spanish, but they are different verb forms from the regular present tense of the indicative mood, since they belong to what is called the imperative mood.

How are formal commands formed?

• To form a formal command you must follow these three steps:

• Start with the "yo" form of the present tense. Let's use the verbs entrenar and recibir as an example.

• entrenar → Yo entreno
• recibir → Yo recibo

• Drop the final -o

• entren-
• recib-

• Add the opposite vowel ending: -e for -ar verbs, -a for -er and -ir verbs.

• entrenar → entren- → entrene
• recibir → recib- → reciba

Here are some examples of regular -ar, -er, and -ir verbs turned into formal commands:

Ejemplos:

• Prepare su CV antes de la entrevista. 🧾💼

• Prepare your CV before the interview.

• Decida cuál va a ser su horario de trabajo. 🧑🏽‍💼🕐

• Decide what your work schedule will be.

• Tome notas y haga preguntas durante su entrenamiento. 📝🤓

• Take notes and ask questions during your training.

As is common in Spanish, some verbs undergo spelling changes in order to maintain a more fluid pronunciation. You have seen some of these spelling changes when working with the preterite tense, where verbs ending in -car, -gar, and -zar have an alternate spelling, therefore in the formal commands they would be written as follows:

• -car → -que
• -gar → -gue
• -zar → -ce

Let's explore some examples:

• Empiece a buscar empleo antes de su graduación. 🖥️👀

• Begin to look for employment before your graduation.

• No pague por una maestría, busque ayudas financieras y becas. 🙅💸

• Do not pay for a master’s degree, look for financial aids and scholarships.i

Additionally, as you are probably used to by now, there are a few verbs that are irregular and do not follow the usual pattern. These must be memorized:

• dar → dé

• Dé algunas sugerencias para mejorar el proyecto. 🤓✋

• Give some suggestions to improve the project.

• estar → esté

• Esté preparado para responder preguntas.. 😁

• Be prepared to answer questions.

• ir → vaya

• Vaya vestido formalmente, con ropa profesional. 🩳👎🧑🏽‍💼👍

• Do not go dressed informally, always go with professional attire.

• saber → sepa

• Sepa dónde está la oficina de recursos humanos por si tiene preguntas. 👩🏿‍💼🏢

• Know where the human resources office is in case you have questions.

• ser → sea

• Sea paciente y cordial al entrenar a nuevos empleados. 😌

• Be patient and courteous when training new employees.

Now how do we convey commands to a group of people? By using ustedes! Remember ustedes is simply a way to talk to a group of people, whether that be formal or informal, it does not change. So let's explore how to form those commands that address a group of people in any setting.

How are the ustedes commands formed? Easy! We are going to use the same rules as for the formal commands and simply add a plural -n next to the opposite vowel ending:

• Start with the "yo" form of the present tense. Let's use the verbs hablar and escribir as an example.

• hablar → Yo hablo
• escribir → Yo escribo

• Drop the final -o

• habl-
• escrib-

• Add the opposite vowel ending: for -ar verbs -en, for -er and -ir verbs -an.

• hablar → habl- → hablen
• escribir → escrib- → escriban

Irregular verbs also follow the same format, just add that -n after the opposite vowel ending!

• ir → vayan

• Vayan a cada reunión con una actitud positiva. 😁👍

• Go to every meeting with a positive attitude.

• ser → sean

• No sean agresivos o engreídos. 🙅🏽‍♂️😒

• Don't be aggressive or conceited.

Here are some more examples in context:

• No hablen* durante el seminario, es importante prestar atención. 🤫

• Do not speak during the seminar, it is important to pay attention.

• Escriban sus nombres completos en la hoja de asistencia. 📃✍️

• Write your complete names in the attendance sheet.

• ¡Coman antes de seguir trabajando para mantener el ánimo! 🍽️😋

• Eat before you continue working in order to keep your spirits up!

*Notice that to create a negative command (singular or plural), we simply add a no before the verb.

Check-in Activity