1. Formal commands Preview Formal commands Spelling changes
Plural forms of commands

2. Formal commands
To tell someone you address as usted to do something, use formal commands.
To form them, replace the final -o of the yo form with -e for -ar verbs and -a for -er and -ir verbs.
comprar: yo compro
comer: yo como
abrir: yo abro
compre (buy)
no compre (don’t buy)
coma (eat)
no coma (don’t eat)
abra (open)
no abra (don’t open)
Abra la ventana, por favor.
Open the window, please.

3. Spelling changes
Verbs ending in -car, -gar, -zar, -ger, and -guir have spelling changes in their formal command forms.
sacar:
saque (take out)
no saque
(don’t take out)
llegar:
llegue (arrive)
no llegue
(don’t arrive)
organizar:
organice (organize)
no organice
(don’t organize)
recoger:
recoja (pick up)
no recoja
(don’t pick up)
seguir (i):
siga (keep going)
no siga
(don’t keep going)
No llegue tarde.
Don’t arrive late to first period.

4. Plural forms of commands
To tell two or more people to do or not to do something, add -n to the formal command form.
Muchachos, abran la ventana, por favor.
Ramón y Alfredo, no vean tanta televisión.