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NOSOTROS COMMANDS

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NOSOTROS COMMANDS

LISTEN
NOSOTROS commands are more frequently used to suggest that others do some activity with you rather than to command: let's do something or let's not do something. We already learned a way to say let's do something by using VAMOS A + infinitive verb:

¡Vamos a caminar!     Let's go to walk!
¡Vamos a comer!     Let's go to eat!
¡Vamos a escribir!     Let's go to write!

It is important to use exclamation marks to indicate that the construction VAMOS A + Infinitive is used as a NOSOTROS command. Otherwise, it can have another meaning (in the present tense and near future):
Nosotros vamos a caminar     We go to walk or we will go to walk
Nosotros vamos a comer     We go to eat or we will go to eat
Nosotros vamos a escribir     We go to write or we will go to write

Now, we will learn how NOSOTROS command is formed by using the NOSOTROS form of the present subjunctive.

*NOTICE THE COLOR CODE OF THE VERB ENDINGS:
-emos: NOSOTROS command of -AR verbs
-amos: NOSOTROS command of -ER and -IR verbs

COMMAND FORMS OF -AR VERBS
Drop the -ar ending of the infinitive form of the verb, and add -emos

Infinitive verb
tomar (to take/drink)
trabajar (to work)

Examples:
Affirmative NOSOTROS
Estudiemos (Let's study)
Caminemos (Let's walk)
NOSOTROS command
tomemos
trabajemos


Negative NOSOTROS
No estudiemos
No caminemos
COMMAND FORMS OF -ER AND -IR VERBS
Drop the -er or -ir ending of the infinitive form of the verb, and add -amos

Infinitive verb
comer
leer
escribir
recibir

Examples:
Affirmative NOSOTROS
Comamos las frutas (let's eat the fruits)
Escribamos un poema (let's write a poem)
NOSOTROS command
comamos
leamos
escribamos
recibamos


Negative NOSOTROS
No comamos las frutas
No escribamos un poema
NOSOTROS COMMAND OF VERBS ENDING IN -CAR, -GAR AND -ZAR
Verbs ending in -car, -gar, and -zar require spelling changes in order to keep the pronunciation.
-CAR: C changes to QU
-GAR: G changes to GU
-ZAR: Z changes to C

Infinitive
Tocar (to touch/play)
Buscar (to look for)
Practicar (to practice)
Educar (to educate)
Llegar (to arrive)
Jugar (to play)
Navegar (to navigate)
Pagar (to pay)
Comenzar (to start/begin)
Empezar (to start/to begin)
Cruzar (to cross)
Almorzar (to eat lunch)
Nosotros command
toquemos
busquemos
practiquemos
eduquemos
lleguemos
juguemos
naveguemos
paguemos
comencemos
empecemos
crucemos
almorcemos

NOSOTROS COMMAND OF IRREGULAR YO FORMS
If the verb has an irregular YO form in the present tense it also appears in the NOSOTROS command. Verbs with YO forms that end in -go or -zco in the present tense use the same irregular ending in the present subjunctive. Therefore, it is the same in the NOSOTROS command.

Irreg. YO form-present tense
Pongo (I put)
Salgo (I leave)
Hago (I do/make)
Traigo (I bring)
Digo (I say)
Caigo (I fall)
Oigo (I hear)
Vengo (I come)
Tengo (I have)
Conozco (I know)
Traduzco (I translate)
Ofrezco (I offer)
Pertenezco (I belong)

Examples:
Affirmative NOSOTROS
Obedezcamos las reglas
¡Digamos la verdad!

Negative NOSOTROS
No desobedezcamos las reglas
No digamos mentiras
NOSOTROS command
pongamos
salgamos
hagamos
traigamos
digamos
caigamos
oigamos
vengamos
tengamos
conozcamos
traduzcamos
ofrezcamos
pertenezcamos



Let's obey the rules
Let's say the truth!


Let's not disobey the rules
Let's not say lies
NOSOTROS COMMAND OF STEM-CHANGING VERBS
As we learned at the beginning of this lesson, NOSOTROS command is formed by using the nosotros form of the present subjunctive. Therefore, NOSOTROS command follows the same rule as the nosotros form in the present subjunctive: -ar and -er stem-changing verbs do not have stem changes in the NOSOTROS form.
-ir stem-changing verbs in the present subjunctive have stem changes of ei, or ou in the NOSOTROS form.

-ir stem-changing verbs
Preferir
Servir
Pedir
Vestir
Repetir
Mentir
Dormir
NOSOTROS command
prefiramos
sirvamos
pidamos
vistamos
repitamos
mintamos
durmamos

IRREGULAR NOSOTROS COMMANDS

Infinitive
Haber (to have)
Saber (to know)
Ser (to be)
Ver (to see)
Ir (to go)*
Affirmative NOSOTROS
hayamos
sepamos
seamos
veamos
vamos*
Negative NOSOTROS
No hayamos
No sepamos
No seamos
No veamos
No vayamos*
*Negative command form is based on the subjunctive:
¡Vamos a casa!     Let's go home!
¡No vayamos a casa!     Let's not go home!

NOSOTROS COMMANDS WITH PRONOUNS
When using a direct (d.o.p) / indirect (i.o.p) object pronoun or reflexive pronouns, you have to attach it to the end of the command - the same rule that you apply for affirmative TU, USTED and USTEDES commands:

NOSOTROS command
Comamos las frutas (let's eat the fruits)
Cerremos la puerta (let's close the door)
Hagamos los pasteles (let's make the cakes)
Pongamos el mantel (let's put the tablecloth)

NOSOTROS command + i.o.p
Expliquémosle el problema
Contestémosles la pregunta

NOSOTROS command + reflex. pronoun
*Cepillémonos los dientes
*Peinémonos el cabello
Nosotros command + d.o.p
comámoslas
cerrémosla
hagámoslos
pongámoslo


Let's explain the problem to him/her
Let's answer them the question


Let's brush our teeth
Let's comb our hair
*When attaching reflexive pronouns at the end of NOSOTROS command, you drop the final s of the command form before the reflexive pronoun.

NEGATIVE NOSOTROS COMMANDS WITH PRONOUNS
With negative commands, direct (d.o.p) and indirect (i.o.p) object pronouns and reflexive pronouns go right before the verb:

Neg. NOSOTROS command
No comamos las papas
No cerremos la puerta
No hagamos los pasteles
No pongamos el mantel

Neg. NOSOTROS command + i.o.p
No le expliquemos el problema
No les contestemos la pregunta

Neg. NOSOTROS command + refl.pron
No nos cepillemos los dientes
No nos peinemos el cabello
Neg. NOSOTROS command + d.o.p
No las comamos
No la cerremos
No los hagamos
No lo pongamos


Let's not explain the problem to him/her
Let's not answer them the question


Let's not brush our teeth
Let's not comb our hair