Usted/Ustedes Commands
Formal commands to usted and ustedes use the present subjunctive, with or without no: hable (speak), no hable (don't speak), escuchen (listen, you all).
The rule at a glance
Usted and ustedes use the present subjunctive
-ar → -e / -en (hable, hablen); -er/-ir → -a / -an (coma, coman)
Usted
hable
speak (one person, formal)
Hable despacio, por favor.
Speak slowly, please.
Usted negative
no hable
don't speak
No hable tan rápido.
Don't speak so fast.
Ustedes
escuchen
listen (you all)
Escuchen con atención.
Listen carefully.
With pronouns
dígame / no me diga
tell me / don't tell me
Dígame su nombre.
Tell me your name.
- Same form with or without no: hable / no hable. Compare tú, which changes: habla / no hables.
- Irregulars: an irregular yo form carries over (hago → haga, digo → diga), plus dé, vaya, sea, esté, sepa.
- In Spain, ustedes is formal: with friends use vosotros (hablad).
Forms
Regular verbs
Use the present subjunctive: take the yo form of the present (hablo, como), drop the -o and add the "opposite vowel": -ar → -e, -er/-ir → -a. Usted takes the singular form, ustedes the plural (add -n).
The highlighted part is the ending.
| Verb | Usted | Ustedes |
|---|---|---|
| hablar (speak) | hable | hablen |
| estudiar (study) | estudie | estudien |
| comer (eat) | coma | coman |
| vivir (live) | viva | vivan |
| escribir (write) | escriba | escriban |
| abrir (open) | abra | abran |
Stem changes and irregular yo forms carry over: cierre (close), vuelva (come back), haga (do), diga (say).
Irregular verbs
Six verbs don't build the subjunctive from the yo form. You may know them as "DISHES" (dar, ir, ser, haber, estar, saber); haber has no command form, which leaves five for commands.
| Verb | Usted | Ustedes |
|---|---|---|
| dar (give) | dé | den |
| estar (be) | esté | estén |
| ir (go) | vaya | vayan |
| saber (know) | sepa | sepan |
| ser (be) | sea | sean |
Pronoun placement
Object and reflexive pronouns follow the same rules as with tú commands:
Affirmative: attach the pronoun
Add an accent to keep the stress: hable + lo = háblelo.
- Háblelo – Speak it (formal)
- Siéntense – Sit down (you all)
Negative: pronoun before the verb
No + pronoun + command.
- No lo hable – Don't speak it (formal)
- No se sienten – Don't sit down (you all)
When to use it
1. At the office and in business
With strangers, people in authority, older people and in professional situations.
Firme aquí, por favor – Sign here, please
Rellene este formulario – Fill in this form
Espere un momento – Wait a moment
Pase – Come in
2. At the doctor's
Respire hondo – Breathe deeply
Abra la boca – Open your mouth
Tome estas pastillas – Take these pills
Descanse mucho – Rest a lot
3. Customer service and signs
Llame más tarde – Call later
Envíe un correo electrónico – Send an email
Deje un mensaje – Leave a message
Póngase en contacto con nosotros – Contact us
4. Speaking to a group (ustedes)
In Spain ustedes is formal; for a group of friends use vosotros commands. In Latin America ustedes covers both.
Siéntense – Sit down
Escuchen con atención – Listen carefully
Hagan preguntas – Ask questions
Vayan a la sala – Go to the room
Common mistakes
Using the indicative
Not this (incorrect): Habla usted más despacio.
But this (correct): Hable usted más despacio. – Speak more slowly. Formal commands always use the subjunctive, never the indicative.
Dropping the stem change
Not this (incorrect): Cerre la puerta.
But this (correct): Cierre la puerta. – Close the door. Stem changes stay in the subjunctive: cerrar → cierre, volver → vuelva.
Forgetting the accent
Not this (incorrect): Digamelo.
But this (correct): Dígamelo. – Tell it to me. When pronouns attach, add an accent to keep the original stress.
Attaching pronouns to a negative
Not this (incorrect): No siéntense.
But this (correct): No se sienten. – Don't sit down. In the negative the pronoun goes before the verb.
Quick check
8 questions1. What's the affirmative usted command for 'hablar' (to speak)?
Usted commands use the present subjunctive: hable.
2. What's the negative usted command for 'comer' (to eat)?
Both affirmative and negative usted commands use subjunctive. It's 'no coma'.
3. Which is the usted command for 'ir' (to go)?
'Ir' is irregular in the subjunctive. The usted command is 'vaya'.
4. How do you say 'Don't speak' (negative usted command)?
Use 'no' + present subjunctive (usted form). It's 'no hable'.
5. What's the ustedes command for 'escribir' (to write)?
Ustedes commands use the subjunctive (3rd person plural). It's 'escriban'.
6. Where do you place pronouns with affirmative usted commands?
Pronouns attach to affirmative commands. It's 'Dígamelo' (with accents).
7. What's the usted command for 'ser' (to be)?
'Ser' has an irregular subjunctive. The usted command is 'sea'.
8. How do you say 'Sit down' (ustedes command with reflexive 'sentarse')?
With affirmative commands, attach reflexive pronouns. It's 'Siéntense'.
Test your knowledge of Spanish usted/ustedes commands:
Going further
Affirmative and negative pairs, and more usted and ustedes commands
Affirmative and negative pairs
Hable en español. No hable en inglés. Speak Spanish. Don't speak English.
Vaya por aquí. No vaya por allí. Go this way. Don't go that way.
Sea puntual. No sea impaciente. Be punctual. Don't be impatient.
Vengan temprano. No vengan tarde. Come early. Don't come late.
More examples
Hablen más alto – Speak louder (you all)
Levántense – Stand up
Lean el documento – Read the document
Presenten sus ideas – Present your ideas
Trabajen en equipo – Work as a team
Tomen nota – Take note
Vuelva mañana – Come back tomorrow (usted)