Negative commands: no hables, no comas
Don’t talk, don’t go: negative commands swap the vowel, just like usted commands, and add an -s for tú.
Theory
no + yo form without -o + swapped vowel (+ -s for tú).
How to make them
| Verb | tú | usted | vosotros |
|---|---|---|---|
| hablar | no hables | no hable | no habléis |
| comer | no comas | no coma | no comáis |
| escribir | no escribas | no escriba | no escribáis |
| tener | no tengas | no tenga | no tengáis |
Irregulars
| Verb | tú negative |
|---|---|
| ir | no vayas |
| ser | no seas |
| hacer | no hagas |
| decir | no digas |
| poner | no pongas |
| salir | no salgas |
Swap the vowel + s
-ar → no -es:
no hables = don’t speak
-er / -ir → no -as:
no comas = don’t eat
Pronouns go first
Tócalo. = Touch it.
→ No lo toques. = Don’t touch it.
Siéntate. = Sit down.
→ No te sientes. = Don’t sit down.
Affirmative ≠ negative
Ven. = Come.
No vengas. = Don’t come.
Haz. = Do it.
No hagas. = Don’t do it.
Spelling to keep the sound
tocar → no toques = to touch → don’t touch
llegar → no llegues = to arrive → don’t arrive
cruzar → no cruces = to cross → don’t cross
The most useful one
No te preocupes.
= Don’t worry.
Soften it
No hagas ruido, por favor. = Don’t make noise, please.
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