Commands with usted: gire, siga, cruce
Polite commands for directions, shops and doctors. Start from the yo form and swap the vowel.
Theory
yo form → drop the -o → -ar verbs add -e, -er / -ir verbs add -a.
How to make them
| Verb | yo | usted | ustedes |
|---|---|---|---|
| hablar | hablo | hable | hablen |
| comer | como | coma | coman |
| escribir | escribo | escriba | escriban |
| tener | tengo | tenga | tengan |
| seguir | sigo | siga | sigan |
| volver | vuelvo | vuelva | vuelvan |
Giving directions
| Spanish | English |
|---|---|
| Gire a la derecha. | Turn right. |
| Siga todo recto. | Go straight on. |
| Cruce la calle. | Cross the street. |
| Tome la segunda a la izquierda. | Take the second on the left. |
| Pase, por favor. | Come in, please. |
Swap the vowel
-ar → -e:
gire = turn
-er / -ir → -a:
coma, escriba = eat, write
yo irregulars carry over
tengo → tenga = I have → have
hago → haga = I do → do
pongo → ponga = I put → put
Spelling to keep the sound
buscar → busque = to look for → look for
llegar → llegue = to arrive → arrive
cruzar → cruce = to cross → cross
Five true irregulars
ir → vaya = to go → go
ser → sea = to be → be
saber → sepa = to know → know
estar → esté = to be → be
dar → dé = to give → give
Pronouns join the end
Siéntese. = Sit down.
Dígame. = Tell me.
(add an accent)
Negative: just add no
No gire aquí. = Don’t turn here.
The pronoun moves:
No se siente. = Don’t sit down.
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