We explain what imperative verbs are, their function and examples in texts. Also, what are infinitive verbs.
What are imperative verbs?
The imperative is one of the ways in which Spanish verbs are conjugated, used exclusively to issue orders, make requests, requests or requests of any kind, that is, to make the receiver act in some desired way. Hence its name, from Latin empire, which translates as “to command or give orders”, or “To rule, exercise command, govern.”
Unlike the indicative and the subjunctive, the imperative mood is a defective verb mood, which does not present forms for all persons and verb numbersSince, logically, instructions can only be given to a second person of the plural or singular.
Therefore, all the verbs in this mode can be conjugated only in those two persons, and also a first of the plural, in two different verbs: present and future. Unlike other Romance languages, there is no past imperative form in Spanish.
Thus, the formation of the imperative in Spanish is as follows:
Present imperative
Verb: talk
- 1st person plural: let’s talk
- 2nd person singular: speak (speak, in formal case “you”)
- 2nd person plural: talk
Verb: eat
- 1st person plural: let’s eat
- 2nd person singular: eat / eat, in formal case “you.”
- 2nd person plural: eat
Verb: to live
- 1st person plural: let’s live
- 2nd person singular: live / live, in formal case “you.”
- 2nd person plural: live
Future of the imperative
Verb: talk
- 1st person plural: we will talk
- 2nd person singular: you will speak / will speak, in formal case “you.”
- 2nd person plural: they will speak
Verb: eat
- 1st person plural: we will eat
- 2nd person singular: you will eat / will eat, in formal case “you.”
- 2nd person plural: they will eat
Verb: to live
- 1st person plural: we will live
- 2nd person singular: you will live / will live, in formal case “you.”
- 2nd person plural: they will live
This, of course, is complicated by certain irregular verbs, such as to go (we will go, go / go, go), to sleep (let’s sleep, sleep / sleep, sleep) or to have (let’s have, have / have, have).
When using pronouns, like tell me, be done, save it or free us, in some cases certain consonants are usually omitted, as in let’s go (instead of “let’s go”) or in let’s say it (and not “let’s say it”), or on the contrary they are usually added, as in Be quiet (instead of “is still”).
On the other hand, the imperative it can be negative, when you ask someone not to do something. In these cases, the conjugation varies and the subjunctive form of the verb is chosen, as in:
- Not me come over with those.
- Never touches the edge.
- Neither believe that this is going to stay like this.
As you will see, the imperative in Spanish is a mode that presents numerous details to pay attention to, as well as many colloquial and unconventional forms of expression that come to replace the imperative per se, such as:
- Eat it! (instead of eat it)
- Go to sleep (instead of sleep)
- Don’t go dating me with a joke (instead of don’t come up with jokes)
See also: Imperative mood
Examples of imperative verbs
Some examples of imperative verbs are:
Examples in present tense:
- In the first person plural: let’s say, let’s walk, let’s come, let’s look, let’s hear, let’s shut up, let’s buy ourselves, let’s say so, let’s toast, let’s stop, let’s jump, let’s run, let’s paint, let’s start, let’s finish, let’s go, let’s light them up, let’s console ourselves, let’s get dressed, let’s clean.
- Informal second person singular: tell me, walk, come, look, hey, shut up, buy me, tell me, give me, stand up, jump, run, paint, start, finish, go, light them up, comfort me, get dressed, clean.
- Second person singular formal: tell me, walk, come, look, hear, shut up, buy me, tell me, give me, stand up, jump, run, paint, start, finish, leave, light them up, comfort me, dress up, clean up.
- Second person plural: say, walk, come, look, hear, shut up, buy me, tell me, give me, stand up, jump, run, paint, start, finish, leave, light them up, comfort me, get dressed, clean up.
Examples in future tense:
- In the first person plural: we will say, we will walk, we will come, we will look, we will hear, we will be silent, we will buy ourselves, we will tell ourselves, we will toast, we will stop, we will jump, we will run, we will paint, we will start, we will finish, we will leave, we will light them, we will console ourselves, we will get dressed, we will clean .
- Informal second person singular: you will say, you will walk, you will come, you will look, you will hear, you will be silent, you will buy me, you will tell me, you will give me, you will stop, you will jump, you will run, you will paint, you will start, you will finish, you will go, you will light them, you will comfort me, you will dress, you will clean .
- Second person singular formal: he will say, he will walk, he will come, he will look, he will hear, he will be silent, he will buy me, he will tell me, he will offer me, he will stop, he will jump, he will run, he will paint, he will start, end, he will leave, light them up, he will comfort me, he will dress, he will clean .
- Second person plural: they will say, they will walk, they will come, they will look, they will hear, they will be silent, they will buy me, they will tell me, they will toast me, they will stop, they will jump, they will run, they will paint, they will start, they will finish, they will leave, they will illuminate them, they will comfort me, they will dress, they will clean .
Texts with imperative verbs
Here are some imperative sentences with the verb highlighted:
- Pass me the salt, please.
- Let’s do silence please.
- !Goes up the stairs, quick!
- Come on to visit me soon.
- Behave good, Miguelito.
- !Tell me that secret right away or you will regret it!
- It lives every day as if it were the last.
- !Let’s toast to your health!
- Show me Your ID please.
- !That you go once and for all!
- Don’t make me
- Bring to me what I asked you.
- Guys, do as if nothing had happened.
- Never you miss respect for your teacher.
- put on your clothes formal for the party.
- Make sure to bring the wine tonight.
Infinitive verbs
The infinitive it is not properly a verb mode, but one of the so-called verboids or non-finite forms of the verb (gerund, infinitive and participle), since in them the verbs lack some of their typical forms and characteristics, and they behave as if they were words of another type.
In the case of the infinitive, the verbs behave as if they were nouns, being able to be accompanied by articles or adjectives, and they are recognized because they always end in -ar, -er or -ir. For example: love, eat, sleep.
Thus, the infinitive is the usual way in which verbs are “presented”, that is, the “name” of verbs, unrelated to their conjugation by person, time and mode. That is why we can speak of “the good to sleep“Or” a bad want“Or” you fast talk”, As if they were nouns.