As you may already know if you are studying Spanish as a second language, the conjugation of verb tenses is quite complex. Each tense has its ending, which varies depending on the person and the number. However, one of the simplest ways to conjugate is imperative.

If you found our guide on how to conjugate Spanish verb tenses useful, this article will help you to complement your knowledge of the language with Spanish commands and to want to learn Spanish in Spain with professionals like don Quijote Spanish schools.

You can also read this same article in Spanish, French or Italian.

What are Spanish commands?

Spanish commands or imperative mood is used to give orders, advice, make requests or give instructions. The peculiarity of this mood, as opposed to the indicative and subjunctive moods, is that only the second person singular and plural is conjugated. That is to say, the pronouns “tú”, “vosotros” and “usted” are the only ones that are conjugated in the Spanish command.

However, in the Spanish imperative form, the subject is usually omitted since it is only used to give orders and, in most cases, it is not necessary to add it.

When forming the imperative, several factors must be considered:

• Affirmative or negative
• Formal (usted) or informal (tú or vosotros)
• Singular or plural

Spanish informal commands: affirmative and negative

Generally, the informal form of the Spanish command is usually used by close people, such as friends, family, co-workers, etc.

Affirmative Spanish commands

The affirmative form of the imperative is easy to learn, as it is almost identical to the third person singular of the present tense in Spanish. Basically, you just remove the “r” from the end of the verb and ¡listo! You have the Spanish command done with the second person singular pronoun: “tú”. On the other hand, with the plural, you must replace the “r” with a “d” at the end and you've got it!

The only exception is with verbs ending in “-ir” in the second person singular, in which case you only must change the “I” for an “e”. Here are some examples, depending on the ending of the verb.

Verbs ending in -ar:

• Habla (tú). Example: Habla más despacio (Speak more slowly)
• Hablad (vosotros). E.g. Hablad entre vosotros primero (Talk to each other first)
• Canta (tú). g. Canta tu canción favorita (Sing your favorite song)
• Cantad (vosotros). E.g. Cantad el villancico en Navidad (Sing the carol at Christmas)

Verbs ending in -er:

• Come (tú). E.g. Come más verduras (Eat more vegetables)
• Comed (vosotros). g. Comed en silencio (Eat in silence)
• Bebe (tú) E.g. Bebe más agua (Drink more water)
• Bebed (vosotros) E.g. Bebed antes de salir a correr (Drink before going for a run)

Verbs ending in -ir:

• Escribe (tú) E.g. Escribe la redacción (Write the essay)
• Escribid (vosotros) E.g. Escribid el trabajo en grupo (Write the group work)
• Conduce (tú) E.g. Conduce más despacio (Drive slower)
• Conducid (vosotros) E.g. Conducid siguiendo la línea blanca (Drive following the white line)

Most regular verbs follow this rule, but what about the imperative mood in irregular verbs? Each irregular verb follows its own form of the second person singular, here are some of the most common ones:

• Ser: Sé (tú) E.g. Sé amable con tu primo (Be nice to your cousin)
• Hacer: Haz (tú) E.g. Haz caso a la profesora (Listen to the teacher)
• Ir: Ve (tú) E.g. Ve tú solo a hacer la compra (Go by yourself to do the shopping)
• Decir: Di (tú) E.g. Di qué hiciste ayer (Say what you did yesterday)
• Salir: Sal (tú) E.g. Sal de casa con la mochila (Go out of the house with your backpack)
• Tener: Ten (tú) E.g. Ten paciencia (Be patient)
• Venir: Ven (tú) g. Ven a casa esta tarde (Come home this afternoon)
• Poner: Pon (tú) E.g. Pon la mesa (Set the table)

Negative Spanish commands

As for the negative form of the imperative, once you have learned the affirmative, it is very simple. To the affirmative form you must add the particle “no” in front of it and use the present subjunctive of the verb.

Here are some examples:

• No hables (tú) E.g. No hables tan alto (Don't talk so loud)
• No habléis (vosotros) E.g. No habléis en el teatro (Don't talk at the theater)
• No cantes (tú) E.g. No cantes por la mañana (n't sing in the morning)
• No cantéis (vosotros) E.g. No cantéis durante la visita al museo (Don't sing during a visit to the museum)
• No comas (tú) E.g. No comas a deshoras (Don't eat at the wrong time)
• No comáis (vosotros) E.g. No comáis nada antes de cenar (Don't eat anything before dinner)
• No bebas (tú) E.g. No bebas alcohol entre semana (Don't drink alcohol during the week)
• No bebáis (vosotros) E.g. No bebáis refrescos todos los días (Don't drink soft drinks every day)
• No escribas (tú) E.g. No escribas con el boli rojo (Don't write with a red pen)
• No escribáis (vosotros) E.g. No escribáis en las paredes (Don't write on the walls)

Spanish formal commands: affirmative and negative

On the other hand, the Spanish formal command is the one used to speak in a more polite way with people you don't know or respect. For this form, the third person of the present subjunctive is used for both the affirmative and negative forms with the pronoun “usted”.

Here are examples with the verbs above:

• Hable (usted) E.g. Hable más alto (Speak up)
• Cante (usted) E.g. Cante por la mañana (Sing in the morning)
• Coma (usted) E.g. Coma esta manzana (Eat this apple)
• Beba (usted) E.g. Beba agua en verano (Drink water in the summer)
• Escriba (usted) E.g. Escriba al presidente (Write to the president)
• No sea (usted) E.g. No sea tan duro consigo mismo (Don't be so hard on yourself)
• No haga (usted) E.g. No haga cometarios inapropiados (Don't make inappropriate comments)

These are just a few conjugations with common Spanish verbs, but there are many more, regular and irregular, that you can start using the Spanish commands. Do you have any doubts? Sign up for an intensive Spanish course with don Quijote and get the most out of the language.

You have probably heard the phrase: “Spanish is one of the most difficult languages in the world”. But do you really believe this? If you are a student of Spanish, you will know that this is incorrect. Although it is true that learning a new language is always a challenge, but Spanish is not the most difficult language in the world.

Like any other language, Spanish is either easy to learn or difficult, depending on several factors such as your native language, where and how you are learning it and what approach you are taking to it.

Spanish is a Romance language with a grammatical structure and vocabulary that, in many respects, is accessible to speakers of other Indo-European languages. It is true that it can present some difficulties, but it also has aspects that make it quite accessible, especially when compared to other languages of the world.

Continue reading this article in Spanish, if you think it is not difficult, or switch to Spanish or Dutch.

Is Spanish easy to learn?

Spanish is the second most spoken language in the world by number of native speakers, second only to Mandarin Chinese. With more than 580 million people speaking it worldwide, learning Spanish opens the door to communicate with a vast number of people in Europe, Latin America, the United States and even Africa.

Despite what some people think, there are several reasons why learning Spanish is easy, especially compared to other languages. Because if so many people in the world speak it and choose to study it, how can it be difficult to learn Spanish?

How difficult is learning Spanish?

Here are some reasons why learning Spanish is easy:

• Simple pronunciation. Unlike languages like English or French, Spanish has very consistent pronunciation rules. Each letter is generally pronounced the same way, which makes it easy to read and pronounce words even if you don't know them. This is because Spanish is a phonetic language, which means that, in most cases, words are spelled as they sound.
• Clear grammatical rules. Although Spanish grammar may seem intimidating at first (especially verb tenses in Spanish), the rules are clear and consistent. Once you become familiar with them, there are not many exceptions, for example, gender and number agreement of nouns and adjectives.
• Shared vocabulary. If you speak French or Italian, you will be surprised how many words you already know or are very similar. Many Spanish words have their roots in Latin, as do other European languages, which makes it easier to learn vocabulary.
• Access to different resources. Nowadays, there are countless ways to learn Spanish with mobile apps, videos, online Spanish courses, podcasts, etc. Although intensive Spanish courses will always have the incentive that teachers will be able to help you firsthand to improve your understanding of the language.

Is it difficult to learn Spanish for English speakers?

If your native language is English, learning Spanish can be a moderate challenge, but not impossible. Spanish and English are Indo-European languages, which means they have some commonalities.

However, there are differences that can be challenging between the two languages. For example, Spanish grammar, especially verb tenses or the use of the subjunctive, can be somewhat complex at first for English speakers, as they have no direct equivalent in their language.

Although, English speakers often find Spanish vocabulary relatively accessible. Many English words have Latin roots that closely resemble Spanish words. For example, the word “hospital” is spelled the same in both languages but pronounced differently. While the word “famoso” in Spanish is very similar to “famous” in English.

Even so, pronunciation can be a hurdle for English speakers, especially when it comes to the vibrant “r” or the difference between the “b” and “v” sounds. However, with practice and exposure to the language, these aspects can be mastered.

Is it difficult to learn Spanish for French or Italian speakers?

On the other hand, if you are a native French or Italian speaker, you will find it much easier to learn Spanish. All three languages are Romance languages and have a significant advantage over English speakers.

All three languages share many similarities in vocabulary, grammar and structure. French speakers may encounter some difficulties with pronunciation as Spanish has a more direct and less nasal intonation. However, lexical and grammatical similarities often make learning easy.

On the other hand, Italian speakers will find even more similarities with Spanish. The conjugation of verbs, the gender of nouns and the structure of sentences are very similar, allowing them to learn Spanish quickly. Difficulties may arise in grammatical nuances or differences in vocabulary, but Spanish is an accessible language.

Is it difficult to learn Spanish for Dutch speakers?

For Dutch speakers, Spanish can be a bit more complicated than for speakers of other Romance languages, as Dutch belongs to the Germanic language family.

One of the advantages for native Dutch speakers is that Dutch has some Latin influence in its vocabulary, so many Spanish words may be familiar. Although the main difficulties can be found in the grammar, especially in the conjugation of verbs and the use of the subjunctive, which does not exist in their language, as it does in English.

Spanish pronunciation, however, is usually easier for Dutch speakers than for English speakers, as they share some sounds.

Language immersion is one of the most effective ways to learn Spanish in Spain. Try to create an immersive environment around you during your stay in the country and practice the language 24 hours a day. It may be a challenge for you, but with the right tools it will be an achievable goal. It is up to you whether learning Spanish is easy or difficult.