B1 · Requests and commands
The negative imperative
no plus subjunctive — the affirmative form does not exist here.
At a glance
- Remember
- With no the command form falls away and the subjunctive steps in — pronouns included.
- Form
- (tú) no hablesdon’t speak! (tú)
- Signal words
- no
- nunca
- jamás
- ni se te ocurra
- Trap
- Wrong:No habla tan alto.Right:No hables tan alto.
Your turn
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Now write it yourself4 sentences on this topic, typed and checked instantly.
The form
How the forms are built
Each row gives the meaning first, then the form in Spanish. The colours show what changes from one form to the next.
stem (regular) tense marker person ending negation
| don’t speak! (tú) | (tú) no hables |
| don’t speak! (usted) | (usted) no hable |
| let’s not speak! | (nosotros) no hablemos |
| don’t speak! (vosotros) | (vosotros) no habléis |
| don’t speak! (ustedes) | (ustedes) no hablen |
| -ar → e | no hables, no habléis |
| -er/-ir → a | no comas, no comáis, no vivas, no viváis |
| from the first person | pongo → no pongas, digo → no digas |
| irregular | no seas, no vayas, no des, no estés |
| pronouns in front | no te preocupes, no me lo digas |
| usted | no hable, no coma |
The rules one by one
The form this topic is aboutThe word that calls for it
Negated it is always the subjunctive.
No hables tan alto.Do not talk so loudly.
The stem comes from the first person of the present.
No pongas eso ahí.Do not put that there.
The pronouns go in front, not attached.
No te olvides de las llaves.Do not forget the keys.
For usted the affirmative and negative are the same form.
Pase, por favor. — No pase todavía.Come in, please. — Do not come in yet.
Example sentences
No te preocupes, todo saldrá bien.Do not worry, it will all be fine.
No vengáis antes de las seis.Do not come before six.
No seas tan impaciente.Do not be so impatient.
No me lo digas ahora.Do not tell me now.
6 more example sentences
No comas tan deprisa.Do not eat so fast.
No os vayáis todavía.Do not go yet.
No lo dejes para mañana.Do not leave it till tomorrow.
No hagas ruido, están durmiendo.Do not make any noise, they are asleep.
No te sientes ahí, está mojado.Do not sit there, it is wet.
No me esperéis para cenar.Do not wait for me for dinner.
The trap English speakers fall into
Watch out
The obvious sum — affirmative form plus no — does not work, though English «don't speak» invites exactly that. No habla means «he does not speak» and is a piece of information, not a prohibition. And with pronouns the error doubles: No dime lo combines both mistakes in four words.
The full explanation
Read it all · about 1 min
As soon as a no stands in front, the special imperative form vanishes altogether and the present subjunctive appears: habla → no hables, come → no comas, ven → no vengas. The eight short forms go too.
The endings swap sides: -ar verbs take e endings in the subjunctive, -er and -ir verbs take a endings. Turn the third person of the present round and you have the form.
And the pronouns move back to the front: dímelo becomes no me lo digas. That is why the same sentence is barely recognisable affirmative and negative — where English simply adds «don't» in front of an unchanged verb.
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