AFFIRMATIVE TU COMMANDS

AFFIRMATIVE TU COMMANDS

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Command or imperative forms tell someone to do or not to do something.
Affirmative TU commands are used to tell friends, family members, or young people to do something or to give instructions.

To give an affirmative TU command, you have to use the third person singular form (él, ella, usted) in the present tense:

Infinitive
votar (to vote)
contestar (to answer)
comer (to eat)
beber (to drink)
escribir (to write)
abrir (to open)

él/ella/Ud. present tense
vota
contesta
come
bebe
escribe
abre

Tú command
vota
contesta
come
bebe
escribe
abre

Examples:
¡Vota en las elecciones!     Vote in the elections!
¡Contesta el teléfono!     Answer the phone!
Escribe la carta     Write the letter
Abre el libro     Open the book

Verbs that have stem-changes in the present tense also show the stem changes in the command form:

Infinitive
cerrar (to close)
pedir (to ask for)
almorzar (to eat lunch)
jugar (to play)

él/ella/Ud/ present tense
cierra
pide
almuerza
juega

Tú command
cierra
pide
almuerza
juega

Examples:
Cierra la puerta     close the door
Juega con tu hermana     play with your sister
Pide el menú     ask for the menu

IRREGULAR AFFIRMATIVE TU COMMANDS
Some verbs have irregular affirmative TU commands, and should be memorized because they do not follow a pattern:

Hacer (to do, to make) → haz
Ir (to go) → ve
Ser (to be) → sé

Examples:
Haz la tarea     Do the homework
Ve a la escuela     Go to school

To form some other commands, you have to use the irregular YO form of the present tense and drop the -go ending:

Infinitive
decir (to say)
poner (to put)
salir (to leave/go out)
tener (to have)
venir (to come)
mantener (to keep)

Yo form-present tense
digo
pongo
salgo
tengo
vengo
mantengo

Tú command
di
pon
sal
ten
ven
mantén

Examples:
¡Di la verdad!     say the truth!
¡Sal del cuarto!     leave the room!
Ven a casa temprano     come home early
Mantén tu cuarto limpio     keep your room clean

AFFIRMATIVE TU COMMANDS WITH PRONOUNS
When using a direct / indirect object pronoun or reflexive pronoun you have to attach it to the end of the command:

Tú command
Come las frutas (eat the fruits)
Cierra la puerta (close the door)
Haz los pasteles (make the cakes)
Pon el mantel (put the tablecloth)

Tú command+indirect object pron.
Explícame el problema
Cómprale el libro
Contestanos la pregunta
¡Diles la verdad!

Tú command+reflexive pron.
Cepíllate los dientes
Péinate el cabello

Tú comm.+direct object pron.
comelas
cierrala
hazlos
ponlo

Explain the problem to me
Buy him/her the book
Answer us the question
Tell them the truth!

Brush your teeth
Comb your hair