Irregular Verbs in Negative Commands
Negative commands (telling someone not to do something) can be tricky in Spanish—especially with irregular verbs. In this lesson, you’ll learn how to form negative commands with the most common irregular verbs, along with key rules and examples.
This lesson covers two groups of irregular verbs:
- Strongly irregular verbs that completely change form.
- Verbs with irregular yo forms in the present tense, which affect the base of the command.
Strongly Irregular Verbs
ir – to go
| tú |
no vayas |
| usted |
no vaya |
| nosotros |
no vayamos |
| vosotros |
no vayáis |
| ustedes |
no vayan |
ser – to be
| tú |
no seas |
| usted |
no sea |
| nosotros |
no seamos |
| vosotros |
no seáis |
| ustedes |
no sean |
estar – to be
| tú |
no estés |
| usted |
no esté |
| nosotros |
no estemos |
| vosotros |
no estéis |
| ustedes |
no estén |
saber – to know
| tú |
no sepas |
| usted |
no sepa |
| nosotros |
no sepamos |
| vosotros |
no sepáis |
| ustedes |
no sepan |
dar – to give
| tú |
no des |
| usted |
no dé |
| nosotros |
no demos |
| vosotros |
no deis |
| ustedes |
no den |
Verbs with Irregular yo Forms (in Present Tense)
These verbs follow the general rule for forming negative commands, but their yo forms in the present tense are irregular. Because negative commands are built from that form, you need to know these base changes.
tener – to have
| tú |
no tengas |
| usted |
no tenga |
| nosotros |
no tengamos |
| vosotros |
no tengáis |
| ustedes |
no tengan |
salir – to leave
| tú |
no salgas |
| usted |
no salga |
| nosotros |
no salgamos |
| vosotros |
no salgáis |
| ustedes |
no salgan |
decir – to say
| tú |
no digas |
| usted |
no diga |
| nosotros |
no digamos |
| vosotros |
no digáis |
| ustedes |
no digan |
hacer – to do / make
| tú |
no hagas |
| usted |
no haga |
| nosotros |
no hagamos |
| vosotros |
no hagáis |
| ustedes |
no hagan |
poner – to put
| tú |
no pongas |
| usted |
no ponga |
| nosotros |
no pongamos |
| vosotros |
no pongáis |
| ustedes |
no pongan |
venir – to come
| tú |
no vengas |
| usted |
no venga |
| nosotros |
no vengamos |
| vosotros |
no vengáis |
| ustedes |
no vengan |
oír – to hear
| tú |
no oigas |
| usted |
no oiga |
| nosotros |
no oigamos |
| vosotros |
no oigáis |
| ustedes |
no oigan |
traer – to bring
| tú |
no traigas |
| usted |
no traiga |
| nosotros |
no traigamos |
| vosotros |
no traigáis |
| ustedes |
no traigan |
Examples in Context
-
No seas impaciente. (Don’t be impatient.)
-
No vayas al parque solo. (Don’t go to the park alone.)
-
No tengas miedo. (Don’t be afraid.)
-
No hagas eso. (Don’t do that.)
-
No digas mentiras. (Don’t tell lies.)
Final Tips
✅ Memorize the most common irregular verbs (ser, ir, tener, venir, hacer, decir).
✅ Remember: Pronouns always go before the verb in negative commands.
✅ Practice with real-life sentences to reinforce learning.
Now you’re ready to use irregular verbs in negative commands like a pro! ¡No dejes de practicar! (Don’t stop practicing!)
