Purpose
By the end of this lesson, you will be able to form affirmative and negative commands for tu, Lei, and voi, including irregular tu forms.
Lesson Explanation
Affirmative tu commands for -are verbs use a genuinely distinctive ending different from the normal present tense — -a instead of -i: Parla!(parlare) (Speak! — NOT “parli,” even though that IS the normal “tu” present form.) -ere/-ire verbs match the present tense: Prendi!, Dormi!
Affirmative Lei commands borrow from the present congiuntivo (previewed here, covered fully in the next lesson) — endings flip, with -are verbs taking -i and -ere/-ire verbs taking -a: Parli!, Prenda!, Dorma!
A genuinely important set of irregular affirmative tu commands: va’ (go), da’ (give), fa’ (do), sta’ (stay), di’ (say) — note the apostrophe marking a shortened form.
Object and reflexive pronouns attach directly to the end of affirmative tu/noi/voi commands: Fallo!(fare + lo) (Do it!), Alzati!(alzarsi) (Get up!) But with Lei commands, pronouns go BEFORE the verb: Lo faccia. (Do it — formal.) Negative commands for tu use a genuinely distinctive form — the infinitive itself, preceded by non — rather than a true imperative form: Non parlare!(not “non parla”), a structure with no direct Spanish parallel.
Practice Questions
1. Write the affirmative “tu” command for “parlare.”
View Answer
Parla!
2. Is “Parla!” the same as the normal “tu” present-tense form (“parli”)?
View Answer
No, it is genuinely different.
3. What ending do -are verbs take in the affirmative “Lei” command?
View Answer
-i.
4. Write the affirmative “Lei” command for “parlare.”
View Answer
Parli!
5. Write the irregular affirmative “tu” command form of “andare.”
View Answer
Va’.
6. Write the irregular affirmative “tu” command form of “fare.”
View Answer
Fa’.
7. Where do object/reflexive pronouns attach in an affirmative “tu” command?
View Answer
To the end of the command.
8. Write “Do it!” in the “tu” form.
View Answer
Fallo!
9. Where do pronouns go relative to a “Lei” command, unlike a “tu” command?
View Answer
Before the verb.
10. What genuinely distinctive form does the negative “tu” command use, unlike the affirmative?
View Answer
The infinitive, preceded by “non.”
11. Write “Don’t speak!” using this negative-command structure.
View Answer
Non parlare!
12. Does Spanish have a direct parallel to this negative-tu-command-as-infinitive structure?
View Answer
No.