question about different ways of expressing the second-person plural imperative

Question

Here's a line of dialog from Spanish Short Stories for Beginners, Volume II:

"Cargad las cajas de semillas en el camión, traerlas a a granja, y descárgenlas en el patio de la granja."

If I'm reading it correctly, the speaker uses three different forms of the imperative (cargad, traer and descárgen) in a single set of instructions to a single group of listeners. Is this common among Spanish speakers and, if so, are there rules of grammar that determine when to use which? I read through some of the previous threads on the imperative (and learned some things I didn't know), but they didn't answer this particular question, at least not in a way that I understood.

Correction: The quote is from "First Spanish Reader for Beginners." - AnnRon, Jan 25, 2016

Unless they specifically are trying to illustrate different commands, it seems linguistically odd to mix and match commands to me. I think you substituted an i for an l in the third command. :) - bosquederoble, Jan 25, 2016

You have "descárgenias" you need to edit it to "descárgenlas - Jubilado, Jan 25, 2016

I too think Mardle's explanation is the most logical, but I can't imagine this being used in real life. Maybe a native will respond. - Jubilado, Jan 25, 2016

Great post mate , I like it . - ray76, Jan 25, 2016

I need to incease size. Can't see the difference between "i's" and "l's." Thanks, you guys. I'll fix it. - AnnRon, Jan 25, 2016

Answer 1

Spanish is much more consistent. They should ALL be in the ustedes form or the vosotros form. Such inconsistency to my mind is just poor editing. I have even found similar errors in the first editions of some of the text books I use. I will give all three--vosotros first, then ustedes.

"Cargad" "Carguen."

"Traedlas" "Tráiganlas"

"Descargadlas" "Descárguenlas"

I always go with the most obvious reason for discrepancies. But one of the others that have posted might have the better reason.

http://planaheadevents.com/sites/default/files/Spealling Errors.jpg

I had a cute graphic here, it shows up in the editing, but won't make the trip all the way. - Daniela2041, Jan 25, 2016

I fixed the graphic for you. I think you have confirmed what most of were thinking- Thank you. :) - bosquederoble, Jan 25, 2016

Thanks, Daniela. - AnnRon, Jan 25, 2016

And many thanks to Bosque for fixing the Graphic. It just wouldn't go all the way. - Daniela2041, Jan 26, 2016

I first had to insert it a percentage sign where the space was, then I was able to run it through a program to remove the space entirely. Spaces in domain names do not work well here. :) - bosquederoble, Jan 26, 2016

Answer 2

What a puzzle! Are you sure you have typed the last one correctly? I assume it is las at the end but I don't know how the verb should be written - if it followed the middle one it would be descargarlas but the imperative for 3rd person (usted) plural or singular has a u to maintain the pronunciation, if it was vosotros it would end in d.

As far as the second one the infinitive can be used as an alternative when you are dealing in general terms .

As I am puzzled by your third one I will await a more knowledgeable poster!

I just double-checked, and yes, it is "descárgenlas." - AnnRon, Jan 25, 2016

However, I did put the wrong book title. It's the other one I've been reading: First Spanish Reader for Beginners. - AnnRon, Jan 25, 2016

Answer 3

Are you sure the speaker is addressing the same people in all 3 examples?

Generally in Spain, the presence of one person in a group that you'd address with "usted" means the whole group will be addressed as "ustedes".

My guess is commands 1 and 2 were addressed to one group (as Mardle says, the infinitive is used as an imperative when the timeframe is more general), and then for the 3rd group the speaker includes another person in it (or swaps up the groups in some way).

Either that or it's a contrived example to teach all the types of imperatives.

But the imperative for ustedes has a u after the g. - Mardle, Jan 25, 2016

There are only three people, including the speaker in the scene. He precedes his instructions with "Oye, muchachos." I've looked back at it twice now, and there is definitely no "u" after the "g." Maybe this book isn't the greatest for anything but . . . - AnnRon, Jan 25, 2016

. . . reading fluency? - AnnRon, Jan 25, 2016

Looks not, I missed the u the first time, but yes, it is needed as Daniela says. :) - bosquederoble, Jan 25, 2016