Learning to give commands in Spanish can be straightforward when dealing with regular verbs, but things become more complex when irregular verbs in Spanish imperative come into play. These verbs don’t follow the standard conjugation patterns and require memorization and practice. This article will guide you through the most common irregular verbs in Spanish imperative, their forms, and how to use them naturally in conversation.

Irregular Verbs in Spanish Imperative

The imperative mood is used to give commands, instructions, or requests. In Spanish, commands differ depending on whether you are addressing someone informally (), formally (usted), as a group (vosotros or vosotras, ustedes), or inclusively (nosotros or nosotras, as in let’s). The endings for regular verbs are predictable, but irregular verbs in Spanish imperative break the mold.

In this article, we will cover the eight most frequently used irregular verbs in Spanish imperative for the form.

Imperative
decir (to say)di
hacer (to do, to make)haz
ir (to go)ve
oír (to hear, to listen)oye
poner (to put)pon
salir (to go out, to leave)sal
ser (to be)
tener (to have)ten
venir (to come) ven

Now, let’s look at some examples with these irregular verbs in Spanish Imperative.

Decir in Imperative

Di tu nombre completo al agente de policía cuando te lo pida.

Say your full name to the police officer when he asks for it.

Di la verdad aunque sea difícil para todos los que están escuchando.

Say the truth even if it is difficult for everyone who is listening.

Hacer in Imperative

Haz tus deberes antes de cenar, como te dije esta tarde.

Do your homework before dinner, like I told you this afternoon.

Haz ejercicio todos los días para mantenerte en buena forma física.

Do exercise every day to stay in good physical shape.

Ir in Imperative

Ve a ver a tu abuela este fin de semana, no lo olvides.

Go visit your grandmother this weekend, don’t forget.

Ve al supermercado y compra lo que necesitamos para la cena.

Go to the supermarket and buy what we need for dinner.

Oír in Imperative

Oye lo que dice tu hermana; tiene algo muy importante que contar.

Listen to what your sister is saying; she has something very important to tell.

Oye con atención las instrucciones antes de empezar a armar el mueble.

Listen carefully to the instructions before you start assembling the furniture.

Poner in Imperative

Pon los platos en el lavavajillas después de terminar de comer.

Put the dishes in the dishwasher after finishing your meal.

Pon atención a las instrucciones para que no cometas errores.

Pay attention to the instructions so you don’t make mistakes.

Salir in Imperative

Sal de la casa temprano para evitar el tráfico de la mañana.

Leave the house early to avoid morning traffic.

Sal con tus amigos y disfruta del buen tiempo de primavera.

Go out with your friends and enjoy the nice spring weather.

Ser in Imperative

honesto con tus sentimientos y expresa lo que piensas.

Be honest about your feelings and express what you think.

amable con tus hermanos incluso cuando estés cansado.

Be kind to your siblings even when you’re tired.

Tener in Imperative

Ten paciencia mientras esperamos a que llegue el médico.

Be patient while we wait for the doctor to arrive.

Ten cuidado al cruzar la calle en esta intersección peligrosa.

Be careful when crossing the street at this dangerous intersection.

Venir in Imperative

Ven a la fiesta esta noche, todos preguntaron por ti.

Come to the party tonight, everyone asked about you.

Ven aquí ahora mismo que necesito hablar contigo urgentemente.

Come here right now because I need to talk to you urgently.

Estar in Imperative

The verb estar (to be) behaves differently in the imperative mood because it has regular endings, but it always appears in its pronominal form when giving commands. This feature makes it one of the more unique irregular verbs in Spanish imperative.

Estar
estate
ustedestese
vosotros or vosotrasestaos
ustedestense

Estate tranquilo y deja que los adultos manejen esta situación complicada.

Stay calm and let the adults handle this complicated situation.

Estese atento durante la reunión porque se discutirán temas importantes.

Be attentive during the meeting because important topics will be discussed.

Estaos listos para salir apenas llegue el autobús al punto de encuentro.

Be ready to leave as soon as the bus arrives at the meeting point.

Estense quietos mientras el fotógrafo prepara la cámara y ajusta la luz.

Stay still while the photographer sets up the camera and adjusts the lighting.

Exercises

Let’s do some exercises to practice the irregular verbs in Spanish imperative we have seen in this article.

Exercise 1

Exercise 2

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