The
imperative is the form that gives orders. Now having
a look at the English form there is actually only a
form that applies for the second person in singular
and plural. And to be precise it is identical with the
infinitive form. Go! Go home!Do it! It is not quite
clear whether you shout at one or more person, but we are sure, it is the personal pronoun you that was left out.
For all the other personal pronouns there is a detour
to express something like an order.
personal pronoun
imperative in
English
I
you
he, she, it
we
you
they
Let me do it! (a
detour!)
Do it! Go!
Let
him, her do it! Let it be! (a detour)
Let
us do it! Let's go! (a detour)
Do it! (You all) Go!
Let them do it! Let them
go! (a detour)
Anyway if you think about it, whom
can you order to do something? You can order others (you),
you can order yourself as part of a group (us). That is
what the Spanish language provides as a form (no detours,
no simple infinitives!). Here the Spanish had been
quite creative there are two different forms for a positive
imperative and a negative one (Don't
do it! Don't go! Let's not fight!).
Again we have the differentiation
between the verbs ending on -ar, -er or -ir.
tomar
= to take
verbs on -ar
positive imperative
personal pronoun
imperative
formation
tú
Usted
Vosotros
Ustedes
toma
(take)
tome (take, formal form)
tomad
(take, you all)
tomen (take, formal form,
plural)
3rd person
singular indicativo presente
3rd person subjuntivo
presente
independent: the r of
the infinitive is substituted by d
3rd person plural subjuntivo
presente
verbs on-ar
negative imperative
personal pronoun
imperative
formation
tú
Usted
Vosotros
Ustedes
no tomes (do not take)
no tome (do not take;
formal)
no toméis (do not take;
you all)
no tomen (do not take;
formal plural)
2nd person singular subjuntivo
presente
3rd person singular subjuntivo
presente
2nd person plural subjuntivo
presente
3rd person plural subjuntivo
presente
comer
verbs on -er
positive imperative
personal pronoun
imperative
formation
tú
Usted
Vosotros
Ustedes
come
(eat)
coma (eat; formal singular)
comed
(eat; you all)
coman (eat; formal plural)
3rd person singular indicativo
presente
3rd person subjuntivo
presente
independent: the r of
infinitive is substituted by d
3rd person plural subjuntivo
presente
verbs on -er
negative imperative
personal pronoun
imperative
formation
tú
Usted
Vosotros
Ustedes
no comas (do not eat)
no coma (do not eat; formal)
no comáis (do not eat;
you all)
no coman (do not eat;
formal plural)
2nd person singular subjuntivo
presente
3rd person singular subjuntivo
presente
2nd person plural subjuntivo
presente
3rd person plural subjuntivo
presente
subir
verbs on -ir
positive imperative
personal pronoun
imperative
formation
tú
Usted
Vosotros
Ustedes
sube
(go up)
suba (go up; formal singular)
subid
(go up; you all)
suban (go up; formal
plural)
3rd person singular indicativo
presente
3rd person subjuntivo
presente
independent: the r of
the infinitive is substituted by d
3rd person plural subjuntivo
presente
verbs on -ir
negative imperative
personal pronoun
imperative
formation
tú
Usted
Vosotros
Ustedes
no suban (do not go up)
no suba (do not go up;
formal)
no subáis (do not go up;
you all)
no suban (do not go up;
formal plural)
2nd person singular subjuntivo
presente
3rd person singular subjuntivo
presente
2nd person plural subjuntivo
presente
3rd person plural subjuntivo
presente
As you can see only the positive
imperative in the second person plural has an independent
form. The other forms are identical with the subjuntivo.
Therefore, you have one more reason to learn the subjuntivo:
to order your Spanish guests to eat more.
