Do you want to learn how to use vos commands in Spanish? Are you ready to start telling people what to do or not to do using vos commands…. Mirá el video, hacé el quiz en el PDF y aprenderás por fin los mandatos vos!
In this third blog about voseo, you’ll learn all about the vos commands in Spanish, including how to conjugate the verbs appropiately in affirmative and negative forms. Watch the video, do the quiz in the pdf, and finally, you’ll learn vos commands in Spanish!
Make sure to check the two previous blogs first, What’s vos and how is it used in Latin America and What’s the difference between Tú and Vos in Spanish? In this third and final blog, you’ll learn how to use vos commands in Spanish. Remember, vos is another form of informality, similar totú in Spanish! Use vos commands to address children, your peers or friends, or people you know very well.
Vos Conjugations for Commands in Spanish
If you need a refresher on tú commands, check out these two blogs for medical professionals and teachers. In this blog, you’ll learn the conjugations for affirmative and negative vos commands, but there is some overlap with tú commands. Luckily, it’s actually a bit simpler than tú commands, especially in the affirmative vos command form.
Learn Affirmative Vos Commands in Spanish
| AR | ER | IR |
| á | é | í |
| hablá | comé | decí |
| cociná | hacé | vení |
| p.ej: Hablá despacio. Speak slowly. | hacé la tarea. Do the homework. | Decíme Tell me. |
To form affirmative vos commands in Spanish, you only need to add the above endings. Also, notice that in the affirmative vos command, there are no yo-go verbs (these are present tense verbs with ‘go’ in the yo form, like tengo, vengo, salgo, etc.) spelling changes, or stem-changers. It’s that simple!
Learn Negative Vos Commands in Spanish
| AR | ER | IR |
| és | ás | ás |
| No hablés | No comás | no digás |
| No cocinés | No hagás | no vengás |
| p.ej: No cocinés hoy. Don’t cook today. | No lo hagás. Don’t do it. | No vengás tarde a casa. Don’t come home late. |
On the other hand, with negative vos commands in Spanish, you have to preserve any changes in the yo form in the present indicative, just like with negative tú commands. In fact, these commands look just like tú commands, but they’ve got an accent on the ending. You’ve also got to use the same irregular forms SABER (no sepas), IR (no vayas), SER (no seas), etc. in the negative vos command in Spanish.
Irregular Vos Commands in Spanish
It’s good news again! There are almost no truly irregular verbs with vos commands. Besides those changes in yo that need to be included in the negative vos command, as well as the 5 irregular verbs you’re already familiar with negative tú commands (no vayas, no sepas, etc.), there is just one verb that doesn’t follow the above affirmative vos command rules: IR (to go). In vos, most people in voseo prevalent countries, use ANDAR instead of IR, to say Go!
| ¡Andá ya! Viene la lluvia! |
| Go now! The rain is coming! |
| Andá con el niño, necesita un amigo. |
| Go with the boy, he needs a friend. |
So next time you’re in a voseo-speaking country, try switching out IR for ANDAR in the affirmative vos command form!
