Madrigals Magic Key to Spanish (143 page)
Read Madrigals Magic Key to Spanish Online
Authors: Margarita Madrigal
Tags: #Reference, #Language Arts & Disciplines
The endings for the command form of the verb are:
E for AR verbs
A for ER and IR verbs
EXAMPLES:
| hablar, to speak | hable, speak | hable despacio, por favor, speak slowly, please |
| contestar, to answer | conteste, answer | conteste el teléfono, por favor, answer the phone, please |
| abrir, to open | abra, open | abra la ventana, por favor, open the window, please |
Pronouns are added on to the verbs in the command form.
EXAMPLES:
| levantarse, to get up | levántese, get up | levántese temprano, get up early |
| escribir, to write | escríbame, write to me | escríbame pronto, write to me soon |
Radical changing verbs have the same changes in the command form as they have in the present tense.
E = IE
O = UE
EXAMPLES:
| INFINITIVE | PRESENT | COMMAND | COMMON EXPRESSION |
| cerrar ( to close ) | cierro ( I close ) | cierre ( close ) | cierre la ventana ( close the window ) |
| sentarse ( to sit down ) | me siento ( I sit down ) | siéntese ( sit down ) | siéntese, por favor ( sit down, please ) |
| contar ( to count ) | cuento ( I count ) | cuente ( count ) | cuente conmigo ( count on me [ with me ]) |
| soltar ( to let go ) | suelto ( I let go ) | suelte ( let go ) | suélteme ( let go of me ) |
Most of the nonconformist verbs have the same
irregularities in the command form as they have in the first person singular of the present tense.
| INFINITIVE | PRESENT | COMMAND | COMMON EXPRESSION |
| venir, | vengo, | venga, | venga acá, |
| to come | I come | come | come here |
| tener, | tengo, | tenga, | tenga esto, |
| to have | I have | have | have this, take this |
| poner, | pongo, | ponga, | póngalo en la mesa, |
| to put | I put | put | put it on the table |
| hacer, | hago, | haga, | haga esto, |
| to do | I do | do | do this |
| salir, | salgo, | salga, | salga de la casa, |
| to go out | I go out | go out | go out ( get out ) of the house |
| oír, | oigo, | oiga, | oiga, |
| to hear, to listen | I hear, listen | hear, listen | listen |
| traer, | traigo, | traiga, | tráigamelo, |
| to bring | I bring | bring | bring me it, it to me |
| andar, | ando, | ande, | ande, |
| to walk, to go | I walk, I go | walk, go | oh, go on |
| decir, | digo, | diga, | no me diga, |
| to say, to tell | I say, tell | say, tell | don’t tell me |
| caerse, | me caigo, | cáigase, | no se caiga, |
| to fall down | I fall down | fall down | don’t fall down |
Pronouns are attached to the command form except when the command is negative.
| AFFIRMATIVE | NEGATIVE |
| dígame, tell me | no me diga, don’t tell me |
| siéntese, sit down | no se siente, don’t sit down |
| suéltelo, let go of it | no lo suelte, don’t let go of it |
| póngalo, put it | no lo ponga, don’t put it |
| tráigamelo, bring it to me ( me it ) | no me lo traiga, don’t bring it to me |
| levántese, get up | no se levante, don’t get up |
| báñese, bathe, take a bath | no se bañe, don’t take a bath |
| acuéstese, go to bed | no se acueste, don’t go to bed |
You have learned that there are three kinds of verbs in Spanish:
1. Regular Verbs
2. Radical Changing Verbs
3. Nonconformist Verbs
The first person singular present of all these verbs is identical to the command, except for the final letter. Always try to associate the command with the first person present.
EXAMPLES:
REGULAR VERBS
| INFINITIVE | PRESENT | COMMAND |
| tomar, to take | tomo, I take | tome |
| vender, to sell | vendo, I sell | venda |
| escribir, to write | escribo, I write | escriba |
RADICAL CHANGING VERBS
| INFINITIVE | PRESENT | COMMAND |
| cerrar, to close | cierro, I close | cierre |
| contar, to count | cuento, I count | cuente |
| recordar, to remember | recuerdo, I remember | recuerde |
NONCONFORMIST VERBS
| INFINITIVE | PRESENT | COMMAND |
| venir, to come | vengo, I come | venga |
| hacer, to do | hago, I do | haga |
| traer, to bring | traigo, I bring | traiga |
If you associate the command with the present tense, you can’t go wrong.
There are only a very few exceptions to this rule and they are:
“Dar” (
to give
) and “estar” (
to be
) are regular in the command, although they are nonconformist verbs. However, they did not deign to be completely regular, since they belong to the select nonconformist club, so they both have accents.
| dar, to give | dé, give | démelo, give it to me |
| estar, to be | esté, be | esté contento, be happy |
“Ir” (
to go
) and “ser” (
to be
) are completely
irregular:
| ir, to go | voy, I go | vaya, go | vaya a la tienda, go to the store |
| ser, to be | soy, I am | sea, be | no sea indiscreto, don’t be indiscreet |
This whole lesson can be reduced to three points.
1. The command is like the first person singular present, except for the final letter.
2. The commands that are not like the first person singular present are:
| estar | dar | ir | ser |
| ( esté ) | ( dé ) | ( vaya ) | ( sea ) |
3. In the command, pronouns are attached to the verbs except when the command is negative.
AR verbs
- Cover up the right-hand column.
- Remove “ar” from the infinitive in the left-hand column.
- Add the letter “e” (as in the second column below).
- Check your columns with those below.
- Read the second column aloud, firmly stressing the heavy-type letters.
| INFINITIVE | COMMAND |
| tomar, to take | t o me |
| hablar, to speak | h a ble |
| trabajar, to work | trab a je |
| entrar, to come in | e ntre |
| pasar, to pass | p a se |
| bailar, to dance | b a ile |
| terminar, to finish | term i ne |
| estacionar, to park | estaci o ne |
| comprar, to buy | c o mpre |
| anunciar, to advertise | an u ncie |
| dibujar, to draw | dib u je |
| cambiar, to change | c a mbie |
| cantar, to sing | c a nte |
| arreglar, to arrange | arr e gle |
| caminar, to walk | cam i ne |
| enseñar, to show, to teach | ens e ñe |
ER and IR verbs
- Cover up the right-hand column.
- Remove “er” or “ir” from the infinitive in the left-hand column.
- Add the letter “a” (as in the second column below).
- Check your columns with those below.
- Read the second column aloud, firmly accenting the heavy-type letters.
| INFINITIVE | COMMAND |
| vender, to sell | v e nda |
| correr, to run | c o rra |
| comprender, to understand | compr e nda |
| aprender, to learn | apr e nda |
| leer, to read | l e a |
| comer, to eat | c o ma |
| beber, to drink | b e ba |
| decidir, to decide | dec i da |
| escribir, to write | escr i ba |
| permitir, to allow | perm i ta |
| resistir, to resist | res i sta |
| vivir, to live | v i va |
| describir, to describe | descr i ba |
NONCONFORMIST VERBS
- Cover up the two right-hand columns.
- Write the first person singular present of each verb (as in the second column below). They all end in “go.”
- Write the command of each verb (as in the third column below). They all end in “ga.”
| INFINITIVE | PRESENT | COMMAND |
| venir, to come | vengo, I come | v e nga |
| tener, to have | tengo, I have | t e nga |
| hacer, to do | hago, I do | h a ga |
| traer, to bring | traigo, I bring | tr a iga |
| salir, to go out | salgo, I go out | s a lga |
| caer, to fall | caigo, I fall | c a iga |
| oír, to hear | oigo, I hear | o iga |
| poner, to put | pongo, I put | p o nga |
| decir, to say | digo, I say | d i ga |