Negative Tú Commands
Learn how to form negative tú commands in Spanish with the present subjunctive, including irregular forms, pronoun placement, and clear examples.
Negative Tú Commands in Spanish
Negative tú commands use no + the tú form of the present subjunctive to tell someone not to do something.
No hables tan rápido.
Don’t speak so quickly.
No comas eso.
Don’t eat that.
No escribas aquí.
Don’t write here.
Unlike affirmative tú commands, they use no + the tú form of the present subjunctive. For formal or polite commands, use usted or ustedes commands instead.
How to form negative tú commands
For most verbs:
- Start with the yo form of the present tense.
- Remove -o.
- Add the opposite ending:
- -ar → -es
- -er / -ir → -as
| Infinitive | Yo form | Negative tú command |
|---|---|---|
| hablar | hablo | no hables |
| comer | como | no comas |
| escribir | escribo | no escribas |
| hacer | hago | no hagas |
| poner | pongo | no pongas |
| salir | salgo | no salgas |
These forms are the same as the tú forms of the present subjunctive.
Common irregular forms
Some verbs have irregular present subjunctive forms, so their negative tú commands are also irregular.
| Verb | Negative tú command |
|---|---|
| dar | no des |
| estar | no estés |
| ir | no vayas |
| saber | no sepas |
| ser | no seas |
Examples:
No vayas solo.
Don’t go alone.
No seas impaciente.
Don’t be impatient.
No me des eso.
Don’t give me that.
No estés nervioso.
Don’t be nervous.
Pronouns with negative commands
With negative commands, object and reflexive pronouns go before the verb.
No me digas eso.
Don’t tell me that.
No lo comas.
Don’t eat it.
No te levantes.
Don’t get up.
No me escribas hoy.
Don’t write to me today.
This is different from affirmative commands, where the pronoun is attached to the end:
Dime.
Tell me.
No me digas.
Don’t tell me.
Levántate.
Get up.
No te levantes.
Don’t get up.
Affirmative vs negative tú commands
The two types of tú commands use different forms:
| Infinitive | Affirmative | Negative |
|---|---|---|
| hablar | habla | no hables |
| comer | come | no comas |
| escribir | escribe | no escribas |
| hacer | haz | no hagas |
| ir | ve | no vayas |
| decir | di | no digas |
A useful beginner rule is:
Affirmative → él/ella/usted present form
Negative → no + tú present subjunctive
Quick rule
To tell someone not to do something, use:
no + tú present subjunctive
- Habla. → No hables.
- Come. → No comas.
- Escribe. → No escribas.
With pronouns, remember:
affirmative → attach the pronoun (dime)
negative → put it before the verb (no me digas)