To tell someone not to do something in Spanish, you have a couple of options. The most direct way is to use the Spanish imperative mood in a negative construction, like no toques (don’t touch). Common expressions like ¡no te preocupes! (don’t worry!) use this form.
It’s crucial to know the appropriate contexts in which to use negative Spanish commands without risking rudeness. This guide will help you understand when and how to use each type of negative command in Spanish, whether it’s with friends and family or on the job.
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What is the imperative mood?
The Spanish imperative mood, known as the “command form,” is one of three Spanish modos (moods). It is used to tell someone to do (affirmative) or not do (negative) an action. Negative commands in Spanish are a very direct way to tell someone not to do something, leaving no room for misunderstanding.
- No nades aquí. = Don’t swim here.
- No lleves pantalones cortos hoy. = Don’t wear shorts today.
- No olvides votar hoy. = Don’t forget to vote today!
- No te preocupes. Yo puedo reparar tu patineta. = Don’t worry. I can repair your skateboard.
- No pongas eso en el cubo de la basura. Eso se puede reciclar. = Don’t put that in the trash bin. That can be recycled.
Engaging in Spanish reading practice is a good way to get familiar with negative commands, as you’ll encounter them in advertisements, instructions, recipes, and more.
The negative commands in Spanish are closely related to the Spanish subjunctive mood, so learning these forms will benefit your Spanish in more ways than one. Learn them! Don’t wait!
The 5 types of negative commands in Spanish
Which type of command you use depends on who you are speaking to. You can probably imagine the raised eyebrows if you gave a joking command to a person in authority or in the wrong situation. The tiny detail of the ending of the verb accomplishes the sense of formality with Spanish verbs.
Like in other Spanish verb tenses, there are formal and informal conjugations as well as singular and plural. There’s also a vosotros form for talking to groups of people informally in Spain.
| Spanish Subject Pronoun | When To Use | Example |
| tú you (informal) | informal: one friend, family member, child, or pet | ¡No corras! (Don’t run!) |
| usted you (formal) | formal: one person in more formal contexts, strangers, someone in authority or older | ¡No corra! (Don’t run!) |
| nosotros we | as a suggestion to a group you are a part of | ¡No corramos! (Let’s not run!) |
| vosotros you all (informal, Spain) | informal: a group of friends or family members, primarily in Spain | ¡No corráis! (Don’t run!) |
| ustedes you all | plural: to a group in both formal and informal contexts; in Spain only formal contexts | ¡No corra! (Don’t run!) |
This chart does not include yo (I), él (he), ella (she), or ellos/ellas (they) because you must be speaking directly to someone to give a command.
Punctuation and negative commands
One unique feature of Spanish punctuation is the use of an upside down exclamation point (¡ !) and question mark (¿ ?). The pair of exclamation points is used with commands when they are written with urgency or special emphasis, but they are not strictly necessary just because it’s the imperative form.
It is not correct to use only the ending exclamation point. If you’re writing a command with a sense of urgency or anger, indicate this with both a signo de apertura (opening sign) and a signo de cierre (closing sign), as both are obligatory in standard Spanish writing.
- ¡No olvides la puntuación! = Don’t forget the punctuation!
Negative tú commands
In familiar settings, like with a close friend or family member, and most definitely with your child or your pet, you can use the informal tú command.
It’s not a perfectly concrete rule. Some cultures are less formal than others, so you might hear more tú vs. usted forms in Spain, but others might even use usted with their own family members. When in doubt, use the usted forms.
For situations where tú forms are appropriate, use them when you want to give clear and specific instructions, to keep someone safe, or as reminders.
It’s easy to imagine a parent giving a child instructions.
- No lleves la mochila así. = Don’t carry the backpack like that.
- No corras. Tienes que caminar en la escuela. = Don’t run. You have to walk in school.
- ¡No hagas ruido! = Don’t make noise!
Speaking to a pet will always use the informal forms as well.
- ¡No muerdas mis anteojos de sol! = Don’t bite my sunglasses!
- No comas esto. = Don’t eat this.
- ¡No ladres! = Don’t bark!
Forming negative tú commands
While the affirmative tú commands have a few irregular forms, conjugating the negative tú commands will follow a pattern you can count on. Like the other types of negative commands in Spanish, the form is identical to the subjunctive.
- First, identify the stem. Take the yo form of the present tense in Spanish and remove the “o.” This includes any irregular spellings or stem-changes.
- Add the endings according to the chart below. They are the opposite endings from the present tense.
- Put no in front of the conjugated verb.
Regular verbs in negative tú commands
| Verb Type | Endings |
| -AR verbs | -es |
| -ER verbs | -as |
| -IR verbs | -as |
- gritar (to scream) becomes ¡No grites! (Don’t scream!)
- correr (to run) becomes ¡No corras! (Don’t run!)
- abrir (to open) becomes ¡No lo abras! (Don’t open it!)
- mover (to move) becomes ¡No muevas eso! (Don’t move that!), preserving the stem change
- hacer (to do/to make) becomes ¡No hagas eso! (Don’t do that!), preserving the irregular yo form
Formal negative commands using usted/ustedes
In more formal settings, such as the workplace or in public, you’re likely to hear formal commands. Use the usted commands when you’re speaking to one person and the ustedes commands when it’s more than one.
In Latin America, the ustedes commands are for any plural situation, whether formal or informal.
- No se preocupe. Ella estará bien. = Don’t worry. She will be ok.
- No tiren la pelota en el jardín. = Don’t throw the ball in the yard.
- Por favor, no tomen el ascensor. = Please, don’t take the elevator.
You might think that command forms are less common in formal settings. While it’s true that you want to choose the right moments to employ the imperative mood, there are many situations where someone may need to clearly express a rule, a piece of important advice, give directions, or keep someone safe.
A tour guide may need to give explicit instructions to an individual or a group.
- No salga por esta puerta. = Don’t go out through this door.
- No pierdan las entradas. = Don’t lose the admission tickets.
At an event or public space like a park, crowds might read or hear reminders about the rules and expectations.
- No alimenten a los patos. = Don’t feed the ducks.
- No fumen. = Don’t smoke.
At work, though polite and respectful dialogue may require alternatives to the imperative, there are many uses of the imperative that come across as both polite and professional.
- No duden en contactarme. = Don’t hesitate to reach out.
- No se preocupen. Estoy aquí para ayudarles. = Don’t worry. I’m here to help you.
- No tengan miedo de compartir sus ideas. = Don’t be afraid to share your ideas.
In addition, there may be important company policies, such as confidentiality policies, where a company would want to leave no room for error. They may even use nunca (never) in place of no when these rules are expressed in writing.
- Nunca compartan información confidencial sin autorización. = Never share confidential information without authorization.
- Nunca abran archivos si no conocen el remitente. = Never open files from unknown senders.
Forming negative usted/ustedes commands
Conjugating negative formal/plural commands will follow a similar pattern, because it’s also formed with the subjunctive mood.
- The stem is the yo form of the present tense without the “o.” (Including stem changes and spelling differences).
- Add the endings according to the chart below.
Regular verbs in negative tú commands
| Verb Type | Usted Endings | Ustedes Endings |
| -AR verbs | -e | -en |
| -ER verbs | -a | -an |
| -IR verbs | -a | -an |
Nosotros commands in negative imperative
The nosotros forms of the negative commands work similarly to the other kinds, except the meaning translates roughly to “let’s not…” do something.
- ¡No discutamos! = Let’s not argue.
- ¡No hablemos de esto hoy! = Let’s not talk about this today.
Form the negative nosotros commands with the present tense yo form of the verb (minus the “o”) and these endings. As always, include no before the conjugated verb.
| Verb Type | Usted Endings |
| -AR verbs | -emos |
| -ER verbs | -amos |
| -IR verbs | -amos |
Negative vosotros commands
These forms would be used among friends or family in Spain. This form is often ignored in many resources if they focus on Latin American Spanish exclusively, but if you’re going to travel and socialize in Spain, you’re definitely going to hear it used.
- No digáis nada a Sandra, es una sorpresa. = Don’t say anything to Sandra, it’s a surprise.
- No tengáis miedo del perro. Es muy amable. = Don’t be afraid of the dog. He’s very friendly.
Spelling changes for -CAR, -GAR, -ZAR verbs
Spelling changes are required for infinitives ending in -CAR, -GAR, and -ZAR to preserve Spanish pronunciation rules. This happens for all five types of negative commands in Spanish.
- ¡No toques esa cocina! Está caliente. = Don’t touch that stove. It’s hot.
- ¡No tropece! = Don’t trip!
- No jueguen con la comida. = Don’t play with your food.
- No descarguemos nada. = Let’s not download anything.
- No aparquéis en el césped. = Don’t park on the grass.
| Verb Type | Spelling Change |
| -CAR verbs | c → qu |
| -GAR verbs | g → gu |
| -ZAR verbs | z → c |
Irregular verbs for negative commands
There are some irregular negative commands, but they are fairly easy to recognize.
- ¡No seas impaciente! = Don’t be impatient!
You’ll hear these types of commands often enough to notice their slight irregularities, but most of the patterns are still recognizable. Some of the usual irregular verbs are on this list.
| Spanish Subject Pronoun | serto be | estarto be | irto go | darto give |
| tú you (informal) | ¡no seas! | ¡estés! | ¡no vayas! | ¡no des! |
| usted you (formal) | ¡no sea! | ¡no esté! | ¡no vaya! | ¡no dé! |
| nosotros we | ¡no seamos! | ¡no estemos! | ¡no vayamos! | ¡no demos! |
| vosotros you all (informal, Spain) | ¡no seáis! | ¡no estéis! | ¡vayáis! | ¡no deis! |
| ustedes you all | ¡no sean! | ¡no estéis! | ¡no vayan! | ¡no den! |
Pronoun placement in negative commands
Using object or reflexive pronouns in negative commands is fairly simple. Add the pronoun directly in front of the conjugated verb form, and after the word no.
Don’t worry about learning this word order, it’s going to be easy when you hear it often enough. You’ll hear the expression “don’t worry” in all of the forms. The reflexive verb preocuparse (to worry) follows this pattern.
| Spanish Subject Pronoun | ser (to be) |
| tú you (informal) | ¡No te preocupes! |
| usted you (formal) | ¡No se preocupe! |
| nosotros we | ¡No nos preocupemos! |
| vosotros you all (informal, Spain) | ¡No os preocupéis! |
| ustedes you all | ¡No se preocupen! |
While pronouns are attached to the end of positive commands, both direct and indirect object pronouns will precede the conjugated verb form.
- Dígale que tiene una reunión a las 7:30 de la tarde… = Tell him that he has a meeting at 7:30… pm.
- …pero no le diga que la reunión es conmigo. = …but don’t tell him that the meeting is with me.
- No se suban al árbol. = Don’t climb the tree!
- No te sientes allá. = Don’t sit there.
- Este insecto es feo y peligroso. No lo toque. = This insect is ugly and dangerous. Don’t touch it.
- No las comas. Están podridas. = Don’t eat them. They are rotten.
Saying ‘don’t forget’ in Spanish
You may have learned the verb olvidar for “to forget” in Spanish. This is correct, but a natural way to talk about forgetting something in Spanish is to remove it from the specific person’s responsibility.
Instead of olvidé (I forgot), Spanish speakers may say se me olvidó (it was forgotten by me), giving the person a bit of distance from the action of forgetting. This “accidental se construction” is why instead of a direct no olvide, you might hear no se le olvide, as a gentle reminder.
Common Negative Commands
If you’re traveling in a Spanish-speaking area, you’re likely to see lots of negative commands with rules of all kinds. These could be formed in the negative Spanish imperative, or they might be written in other ways, like the infinitive no fumar (no smoking) or prohibido fumar (smoking prohibited).
| Spanish | English |
| no aparque | don’t park |
| no beba | don’t drink |
| no bloquee | don’t block |
| no entre | don’t enter |
| no fume | don’t smoke |
| no nade | don’t swim |
| no pase | don’t pass |
| no pise | don’t step on |
| no tome | don’t take |
| no toque | don’t touch |
| no utilice | don’t use |
¡No ignores las avertencias! (Don’t ignore the warnings!), especially if you’re traveling in a new place. Rules and laws may surprise you in unfamiliar locations, but following instructions can spare you from fines, accidents, or worse.
Delicate alternatives to negative commands
The imperative mood is the most common way to be very direct and to the point. ¡No abra la ventana! (Don’t open the window!) Some situations absolutely require the clarity and brevity that this structure provides. However, because giving someone else explicit directions can often be a delicate situation, you might see instructions or advice given in other ways.
A few other negative expressions in Spanish will be useful so that you can understand and express expectations.
- Impersonal expressions:
- No es una buena idea abrir la ventana. = It’s not a good idea to open the window.
- Es importante no abrir la ventana. = It’s important to not open the window.
- The conditional tense of deber (should):
- No deberías abrir la ventana. = You shouldn’t open the window.
- The conditional tense of poder (could):
- Podrías mantener la ventana cerrada, ¿por favor? = Could you keep the window shut, please?
- A double verb formula:
- No puedes abrir la ventana. = You can’t open the window.
- No necesitas abrir la ventana. = You don’t need to open the window.
- The subjunctive mood:
- No quiero que abras la ventana. = I don’t want you to open the window.
- A reframed positive command:
- Mantenga la ventana cerrada. = Keep the window shut.
- The infinitive (common in written warning signs in public spaces):
- No abrir la ventana = Don’t open the window
- Se prohibe abrir la ventana = Opening the window is prohibited
Key takeaways about negative commands in Spanish
Once in a while, a situation calls for a negative command. Tell someone “don’t (do something)” using the negative imperative mood in Spanish. This could be for safety, following rules and regulations, or to reassure.
- There are five types, depending on who you are speaking to, taking into consideration the context and the relationship you have with that person or group.
- The verb form in the negative commands is the same as the Spanish present subjunctive. The stem is based on the yo form in the present tense.
- Verbs ending in -CAR, -GAR, and -ZAR will have a spelling change to preserve pronunciation.
- There are alternatives to the command form if you want to soften the request or exercise a bit more caution.
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