El imperativo, explanation

Question

Hey! I want to learn how to use "el imperativo." Could anyone please explain me the basics? That would be great

• Spanish newbie

Answer 1

The imperative is badly named. It sounds like giving orders. Because of this I delayed learning the conjugations as not important. Boy was I wrong. It is used a lot in both Spanish and English. A few examples:

• Pass me the salt. Pásame el sal. Imperative
• Get dressed we're leaving. Vístete, nos vamos. Imperative
• Take out the garbage. Saca la basura. Imperative
• You drive I don't want to. Maneja, yo no quiero. Imperative
• Go away. Vete. Imperative

These are just a few everyday kinds of uses of the imperative.

Vístete = get dressed (or vístase formal) :) - Kiwi-Girl, Oct 15, 2013

Viste threw me, too. Va corregirlo. :-)> - Jubilado, Oct 15, 2013

Sorry. You are both right. - gringojrf, Oct 15, 2013

Thanks, this helped me a bit further. But I don't understand the conjugations, these are completely different from what's on f.ex. wordreference :S - Lombaxine, Oct 17, 2013

Answer 2

It is slightly, just slightly difficult owing to the fact that positive instructions are different from negative ones. Normally there are only two forms to learn that are totally different, that for 2nd person singular and second person plural, in the positive. Apart from that, and the slight confusion that there are some very irregular irregulars, it should be a doddle. The rest follow the subjunctive. Actually, I think it's one of the most confusing things of all verb forms in Spanish, luckily, unless you have children, there is little risk of having to use it! ¡Apréndelo!

I disagree Annie. I use it and hear it many times every day for everyday things. It is used quite often. - gringojrf, Oct 15, 2013

I´m with Gringo. I think it may have to do with your amount of interaction with others, but for me at the track, it´s indispensible. - rogspax, Oct 16, 2013

Yes, it is that I don't have to order people about.. I'm a quiet, pleasant person, you know, besides I'm nervousof the imperative. - annierats, Oct 16, 2013

But that is my point. It is not about "ordering" people about. If you really pay attention to what you say in English I bet you will find that you use it a lot everyday in normal situations. - gringojrf, Oct 16, 2013

Answer 3

There is a helpful set of instructions in the grammar section. Check it out:

http://www.spanishdict.com/topics/show/113

Oh, thanks! I'm pretty new to this site - Lombaxine, Oct 15, 2013

Answer 4

Hola Gringo

The imperative is badly named. It sounds like giving orders. Because of this I delayed learning the conjugations as not important. Boy was I wrong. .

That´s interesting. I never looked at it as strangely named, but that is probably because of a lot of prior formal grammar background in other languages, where the terms Imperative und Mandate were already clear (as well as being the same in both English and German)

But, I Do remember very much questioning the order that topics were taught to us in Spanish.

Imperatives came very early, meanwhile, the past tense fairly late, which struck me as funny. I could order someone around all day, but couldn´t tell them what I ate 5 minutes ago. Or what happened 1 hour earlier that prevented me from arriving on time. But I could darn sure tell them what to do right now.

Seemed strange.

It came late in my classes. Present, then past, the the other indicatives, then subjunctive and imperative. It should come early as it is ued a lot in normal everyday life. - gringojrf, Oct 16, 2013

Answer 5

2.12 Informal Command in the Kitchen