6 common commands using irregular imperatives in Spanish

Irregular imperatives in Spanish are important to learn. After learning the imperative tense, you will be able to understand Spanish command words and how to conjugate them. Though we’ve covered the basics, there are irregular forms for a handful of words that come up often. Once you learn the trick for regular Spanish imperatives, you can move on to irregular commands. Irregular imperatives in Spanish are harder to catch. You need to memorize the word to know what to listen for. Knowing these irregular forms will give you an advantage in your listening fluency. 

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1. Ser: se

This irregular imperative is useful for telling people how to behave. Parents and people in authority use this form of ser (to be) a lot. As we know, Spanish has four versions of imperative commands: tú, Usted, nosotras/os, and Ustedes listed below in order. 

Note: For Usted, nosotros and Ustedes, the affirmative and negative use the same form (sea/no sea). There is no difference in spelling or pronunciation. Only the tú format changes when you compare the affirmative vs. negative of the Spanish imperative command.

2. Poner: pon

For this example, let’s use poner atención, an idiomatic expression. Spanish idioms are common phrases that don’t translate directly into English. Poner atención means “pay attention” but it translates literally to “put attention”.

3. Ir: ve

The Spanish imperative version of ir (to go) is good for giving directions. 

*Did you notice this form changes from affirmative vs. negative? Irregular verbs can be tricky sometimes.

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4. Decir: di

Our language teachers use this command in Spanish every day to tell students what to say and how to say it.

5. Hacer: haz

The verb hacer (to do/make) is used a lot as an imperative command in Spanish. We have talked about Spanish phrases to use at work and 25 Spanish vocabulary words for the office already. If you are a manager, be sure to add this one to your vocabulary.

6. Tener: ten

The Spanish imperative form of tener (to have/take) is useful when you see somebody doing a dangerous activity. If you see a small child climbing the stairs alone, you can say “take care”. 

We often tell students to watch TV and movies in Spanish for listening practice. My favorite television series of all time is the gripping ¿Donde Está Elisa? (2009). This crime telenovela (soap opera) is the perfect way to learn Chilean Spanish and study imperatives. The main character Raimundo Dominguez is constantly telling people what to do. All 113 episodes are now available on YouTube. Ten cuidado (be careful) and get ready to binge-watch because this one is super addictive. 

¡Vamos! (Let’s go!)

Have you ever struggled to understand the irregular imperative tense in Spanish? Or maybe you’re hesitant to use it because you’re unsure of the correct conjugation. Don’t worry, you’re not alone! In this blog post, we covered everything you need to know about the irregular imperative tense in Spanish. But knowledge alone is not enough! To truly take your communication skills to the next level, practice is key. Don’t miss this opportunity to boost your confidence and take your fluency in Spanish to the next level. ¡Vamos!

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Alison Maciejewski Cortez

Alison Maciejewski Cortez is Chilean-American, born and raised in California. She studied abroad in Spain, has lived in multiple countries, and now calls Mexico home. She believes that learning how to order a beer in a new language reveals a lot about local culture. Alison speaks English, Spanish, and Thai fluently and studies Czech and Turkish. Her tech copywriting business takes her around the world and she is excited to share language tips as part of the Lingoda team. Follow her culinary and cultural experiences on X.

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