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
Let me do it! (a
detour!)
you
Do it! Go!
he, she, it
Let
him, her do it! Let it be! (a detour)
we
Let
us do it! Let's go! (a detour)
you
Do it! (You all) Go!
they
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
toma (take)
3rd person
singular indicativo presente
Usted
tome (take, formal form)
3rd person subjuntivo
presente
Vosotros
tomad (take, you all)
independent: the r of
the infinitive is substituted by d
Ustedes
tomen (take, formal form,
plural)
3rd person plural subjuntivo
presente
verbs on-ar
negative imperative
personal pronoun
imperative
formation
tú
no tomes (do not take)
2nd person singular subjuntivo
presente
Usted
no tome (do not take;
formal)
3rd person singular subjuntivo
presente
Vosotros
no toméis (do not take;
you all)
2nd person plural subjuntivo
presente
Ustedes
no tomen (do not take;
formal plural)
3rd person plural subjuntivo
presente
comer
verbs on -er
positive imperative
personal pronoun
imperative
formation
tú
come (eat)
3rd person singular indicativo
presente
Usted
coma (eat; formal singular)
3rd person subjuntivo
presente
Vosotros
comed (eat; you all)
independent: the r of
infinitive is substituted by d
Ustedes
coman (eat; formal plural)
3rd person plural subjuntivo
presente
verbs on -er
negative imperative
personal pronoun
imperative
formation
tú
no comas (do not eat)
2nd person singular subjuntivo
presente
Usted
no coma (do not eat; formal)
3rd person singular subjuntivo
presente
Vosotros
no comáis (do not eat;
you all)
2nd person plural subjuntivo
presente
Ustedes
no coman (do not eat;
formal plural)
3rd person plural subjuntivo
presente
subir
verbs on -ir
positive imperative
personal pronoun
imperative
formation
tú
sube (go up)
3rd person singular indicativo
presente
Usted
suba (go up; formal singular)
3rd person subjuntivo
presente
Vosotros
subid (go up; you all)
independent: the r of
the infinitive is substituted by d
Ustedes
suban (go up; formal
plural)
3rd person plural subjuntivo
presente
verbs on -ir
negative imperative
personal pronoun
imperative
formation
tú
no suban (do not go up)
2nd person singular subjuntivo
presente
Usted
no suba (do not go up;
formal)
3rd person singular subjuntivo
presente
Vosotros
no subáis (do not go up;
you all)
2nd person plural subjuntivo
presente
Ustedes
no suban (do not go up;
formal plural)
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.
