Spanish Negative Tú Commands and Formal Usted and Ustedes Commands

In this lesson, you will give negative commands to one tú listener and affirmative or negative formal commands to usted and ustedes. These command forms use endings that also appear in another Spanish mood, but this lesson teaches them only as commands.

Negative tú commands

Do not make a negative tú command by simply adding no to the affirmative command.

Compare:

— Speak.
— Do not speak.
Come. — Eat.
— Do not eat.
— Write.
— Do not write.

Regular negative tú endings

Infinitive type	Negative tú pattern	Example
-AR	-es	— Do not speak.
-ER	-as	— Do not eat.
-IR	-as	— Do not write.

Formal usted commands

Use these forms when giving a direct formal instruction to one person.

— Speak more slowly.
— Eat here.
— Write your name.
— Open the door.

Formal ustedes commands

Use these forms for a group addressed as ustedes.

— Speak more slowly.
— Eat here.
— Write your names.
— Open the door.

Negative formal commands

Put no before the same formal command form.

— Do not speak so fast.
— Do not eat here.
— Do not write here.
— Do not open the door.

Common irregular command bases

These everyday verbs require irregular forms.

Infinitive	Negative tú	Usted	Ustedes
— to say / tell	— Do not say / tell.	— Say / tell.	— Say / tell.
— to do / make	— Do not do / make.	— Do / make.	— Do / make.
— to go	— Do not go.	— Go.	— Go.
— to put	— Do not put.	— Put.	— Put.
— to leave	— Do not leave.	— Leave.	— Leave.
— to be	— Do not be.	— Be.	— Be.
— to have	— Do not have.	— Have.	— Have.
— to come	— Do not come.	— Come.	— Come.

Stem-changing verbs keep the needed change

— Do not close the door.
— Close the door. Formal singular.
— Close the door. Formal plural.
— Do not ask for more.
— Ask for help. Formal singular.

Choose the addressee first

Compare the same instruction:

— Do not open the door. Informal singular tú.
— Do not open the door. Formal singular usted.
— Do not open the door. Ustedes.

Do not teach yourself the whole subjunctive from this lesson

The forms used here overlap with subjunctive forms, but your present goal is command formation and addressee choice. A systematic subjunctive course comes later.

Service context

Person A: — What do I have to do?

Person B: — Come through here and write your name.

For this lesson, — come through / proceed is a useful formal service command.

Household context

Person A: — Can I put this here?

Person B: — Do not put it here.

This example shows a pronoun with a negative command as a recognition phrase. The full placement and spelling rule is taught in the next lesson.

A practical command method

Identify whether the listener is tú, usted, or ustedes.
For negative tú commands, use the appropriate negative command form, not no + affirmative command.
For usted and ustedes, use the formal command endings for both affirmative and negative instructions.
Preserve common irregular forms such as diga, haga, vaya, ponga, sea, tenga, and venga.
Preserve needed stem changes in common verbs.
Keep the lesson focused on commands rather than the full subjunctive system.

From Command Forms to Pronoun Attachment

You can now give a negative tú command and formal usted or ustedes commands. The next lesson teaches where one object or reflexive pronoun goes with affirmative and negative commands and how spelling preserves the original stress.