The imperative mood is like when you give direct commands or requests. You can only use it with someone who’s right in front of you. For example, “Eat, Juancito!” is an imperative sentence.
But, if you’re not being super direct, then it’s not considered an imperative sentence. So, if you say “I demand that you eat, Juancito!”, that’s not an imperative sentence because we have another verb before the one that tells us what the command is about.
In Spanish, the imperative mood only has one tense (although some people say that the positive and negative imperative are two separate tenses). We only use it with certain people:
| Person | English Translation |
|---|---|
| tú | you (singular informal) |
| usted | you (singular formal) |
| nosotros nosotras | we |
| ustedes | you (plural) |
| vos | you (singular informal, regional use) |
| vosotros vosotras | you all (plural informal, regional use) |
To learn more, check the following links:
2. The Imperative with “Usted”, “Ustedes” and “Nosotros/Nosotras” (COMING SOON)
3. The Imperative with “Vos” (COMING SOON)
4. The Imperative with “Vosotros/Vosotras” (COMING SOON)
