Commands are the most practical grammar students learn at A2: they follow recipes, give directions, read signs and instructions, and tell a friend ¡Ven! or ¡Dímelo!. The forms look scattered at first (habla, hable, hablen), but they come from two sources students already know: the present tense and the yo form. Build tú first, add usted and ustedes, then attach pronouns.
1. Start with tú: it's the él/ella form
The regular affirmative tú command is identical to the third person singular of the present: él habla → ¡Habla!; él come → ¡Come!; él escribe → ¡Escribe! Stem changes stay exactly as in the present: cierra, vuelve, duerme, pide.
In class: teach it through classroom instructions students already hear every day (abre el libro, escucha, mira la pizarra, escribe tu nombre), then let them run a round of "Simón dice" for a few minutes. It is the fastest way to make the forms automatic.
2. The eight irregular tú commands
Eight high-frequency verbs have short tú commands. Teach them as one set and drill them until they are reflexes:
| Verb | Tú command | Example |
|---|---|---|
| decir | di | Di la verdad. |
| hacer | haz | Haz los deberes. |
| ir | ve | Ve a la tienda. |
| poner | pon | Pon la mesa. |
| salir | sal | Sal de aquí. |
| ser | sé | Sé amable. |
| tener | ten | Ten cuidado. |
| venir | ven | Ven aquí. |
Many teachers in the US use the mnemonic "Vin Diesel has ten weapons" (ven, di, sal, haz, ten, ve, pon, sé). It works because students remember silly things.
3. Usted and ustedes: the "opposite vowel" from yo
For formal and plural commands, take the yo form of the present, drop the -o, and add the "opposite" vowel: -ar verbs take -e, -er/-ir verbs take -a.
- hablo → hable / hablen; como → coma / coman; escribo → escriba / escriban
- The yo form carries its irregularity with it: tengo → tenga; hago → haga; digo → diga; vengo → venga.
- Spelling changes keep the sound: buscar → busque; llegar → llegue; empezar → empiece.
- Five verbs don't follow the yo rule: ser → sea, ir → vaya, saber → sepa, dar → dé, estar → esté.
Ustedes is the plural for everyone in Latin America, and the formal plural in Spain. In Spain, students will also hear vosotros commands, made by swapping the infinitive's -r for -d (hablad, comed, venid); teach them for recognition at A2.
4. Attach the pronouns and add the accent
In affirmative commands, object and reflexive pronouns are glued to the end of the verb: ¡Cómpralo! ¡Dímelo! ¡Siéntate! ¡Levántese!
The accent rule is simple to state: the stress stays where it was, so if the word grows past two syllables after the stress, write the accent. compra → cómpralo; sienta → siéntate; di → dímelo. One-syllable commands with one pronoun don't need it: ponlo, hazlo, dime.
5. Commands are not rude in Spanish
English speakers often avoid the imperative because it sounds bossy. In Spanish, especially with tú, it is the normal way to give instructions, offers and invitations: Pasa, pasa. Siéntate. Toma un café. Add por favor for requests, and show the softer alternatives (¿Puedes cerrar la puerta?) as a choice, not a replacement.
Common mistakes and how to catch them
- Regular forms for the eight irregulars: *Hace la tarea, *Tene cuidado, *Dice. Back to the table: haz, ten, di.
- Mixing registers: *Dígame, ¿cómo estás? Choose tú or usted and keep it: Dime, ¿cómo estás? / Dígame, ¿cómo está?
- Adding -s to tú commands: *¡Comes la sopa! That is a statement, not a command.
- Forgetting the accent: *sientate, *compralo. Have students say the word and mark the stressed syllable first.
- Using affirmative forms in the negative: *No habla for "don't speak". Negative commands use a different form (no hables) and come next; flag the difference when students try it.
A 45-minute lesson shape that works
- 5 min — Warm-up: "Simón dice" with familiar classroom instructions.
- 10 min — Regular tú commands from the present tense, then the eight irregulars.
- 10 min — Usted/ustedes from the yo form, practised with a recipe or a set of library rules.
- 15 min — Production: in pairs, students write step-by-step instructions (a recipe, directions to the school) and swap with another pair to follow them.
- 5 min — Exit ticket: three commands with a pronoun attached (cómpralo, dímelo, siéntate).
Free worksheets for this lesson
These printable PDFs follow the same order: forms first, then commands in real tasks like directions and recipes.
- The Affirmative Imperative – Grammar (A2) — regular and irregular commands for tú, usted and ustedes.
- The Affirmative Imperative – Reading (A2) — a recipe, a library sign, a coffee machine manual and a note.
- The Affirmative Imperative – Writing (A2) — ordered instructions for a daily task.
- The Affirmative Imperative – Practice (A2) — explain how to do a daily activity.
- Giving Directions – Grammar (A2) — the imperative, tener que and hay que for routes.
- Giving Directions – Practice (A2) — ask for and give directions on a real map.
- Food, Restaurants and Recipes – Grammar (A2) — quantity expressions and the imperative in recipes.
Browse all Spanish grammar worksheets or the full A2 collection.