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 the verbs from Spanish, 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 "command or give orders", or "Rule, exercise command, rule."
Unlike indicative and the subjunctive, the imperative mood is a defective verb mood, which does not present forms for all verbal persons and numbers, since, 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 verb tenses: 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: to speak
- 1st person plural: let's talk
- 2nd person singular: speak (speak, in formal case “you”)
- 2nd person plural: speak
Verb eat
- 1st person plural: let's eat
- 2nd person singular: eat / eat, in formal case "Ud."
- 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: to speak
- 1st person plural: we will talk
- 2nd person singular: you will speak / will speak, in the 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 the 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 the formal case "you."
- 2nd person plural: they will live
This, of course, is complicated by certain irregular verbs, What go (we will go, go / go, go), sleep (let's sleep, sleep / sleep, sleep) or have (let's have, have / have, have).
When they used pronouns, What 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 can be negative, when you ask someone not to do something. In those cases, the conjugation varies and the subjunctive form of the verb is chosen, as in:
- Don't give me those.
- Never touch the edge.
- Do not think 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 forms colloquial and unconventional expressions 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)
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 tell ourselves, 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 up.
- Informal second person singular: tell me, walk, come, look, hey, shut up, buy me, tell me, give me, stand up, jump, run, paint, start, end, go, light them up, comfort me, get dressed, clean up.
- Formal second person singular: tell me, walk, come, look, hear, shut up, buy me, tell me, give me, stand up, jump, run, paint, start, finish, go, light them up, comfort me, get dressed, clean up.
- In the second person plural: say, walk, come, look, hear, shut up, buy me, tell me, give me, stand up, jump, run, paint, start, finish, go, illuminate you, 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 shut up, we will buy ourselves, we will tell ourselves, we will offer ourselves, we will stop, we will jump, we will run, we will paint, we will start, we will end, we will leave, we will illuminate them, we will console ourselves , we will get dressed, we will clean.
- In second person singular informal: you will say, you will walk, you will come, you will look, you will hear, you will be quiet, 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 end, you will go, you will illuminate them, you will comfort me , you will dress, you will clean.
- In second person singular formal: he will say, walk, come, look, hear, shut up, buy me, tell me, offer me, stop, jump, run, paint, start, end, leave, light them up, comfort me , will dress, clean.
- In 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 give me, they will stop, they will jump, they will run, they will paint, they will begin, they will end, they will leave, they will illuminate them, they will console 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 be quiet, please.
- Get up the stairs, quick!
- Come visit me soon.
- Be good, Miguelito.
- Tell me that secret right away or you will regret it!
- Live each day as if it were your last.
- Let's toast to your health!
- Show me your ID, please.
- Have a good time!
- Don't make me
- Bring me what I asked for.
- Guys, pretend nothing happened.
- Never disrespect your teacher.
- Get dressed formal for the party.
- Make sure you 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 kind.
In the case of the infinitive, the verbs behave as if they were nouns, being able to be accompanied by articles or by 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 "good sleep" or "bad love" or "your quick talk", as if they were nouns.