¡Hola, amigos! When using tú to give commands (like “¡come esto!” – eat this!), some verbs don’t follow the usual rules. In this post, we’ll explore the most unpredictable verbs in this category!
Here’s a list, and Carina, a voice from Spain, will pronounce the commands for you.
| # | Español | English | Command Tú | Command You |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | decir | to say | ¡di! | say! |
| 2 | estar | to be | ¡está! | be! |
| 3 | hacer | to do to make | ¡haz! | do! make! |
| 4 | ir | to go | ¡ve! | go! |
| 5 | poner | to put | ¡pon! | put! |
| 6 | salir | to go out | ¡sal! | go out! |
| 7 | ser | to be | ¡sé! | be! |
| 8 | tener | to have | ¡ten! | have! |
| 9 | venir | to come | ¡ven! | come! |
In the negative, most of these verbs work in the following way:
Example: decir
1. Go to yo in the simple present:
yo digo
2. Change the o for as, and add no:
¡no digas!
Here you have a list. You can see that estar, ir and ser don’t follow this pattern:
| # | Español | English | Command Tú |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | decir | to say | ¡no digas! |
| 2 | estar | to be | ¡no estés! |
| 3 | hacer | to do to make | ¡no hagas! |
| 4 | ir | to go | ¡no vayas! |
| 5 | poner | to put | ¡no pongas! |
| 6 | salir | to go out | ¡no salgas! |
| 7 | ser | to be | ¡no seas! |
| 8 | tener | to have | ¡no tengas! |
| 9 | venir | to come | ¡no vengas! |
Let’s take a look at how Juancito’s mom gives him commands. Juancito is a little troublemaker, always getting into mischief. His mom often has to remind him what to do and what not to do.
Positive Commands to Juancito
1. ¡Di la verdad, Juancito! (decir) – Say the truth, Juancito!
2. ¡Ten cuidado, Juancito! (tener) – Be careful, Juancito!
3. ¡Ven aquí, Juancito! (venir) – Come here, Juancito!
Negative Commands to Juancito
1. ¡No seas grosero, Juancito! (ser) – Don’t be rude, Juancito!
2. ¡No hagas eso, Juancito! (hacer) – Don’t do that, Juancito!
3. ¡No estés nervioso, Juancito! (estar) – Don’t be nervous, Juancito!
Now, let’s play these games so you become an expert!
GAME 1
GAME 2
