Negative Commands

Kurz erklärt

Negative commands tell someone not to do something. In Spanish, place no before the command and use a form of the presente de subjuntivo. This applies to informal tú commands as well as formal usted and plural ustedes commands. Unlike affirmative commands, object and reflexive pronouns go before the verb and after no: No lo abras; No se preocupen.

Bildung

no + object/reflexive pronoun(s), if any + present subjunctive form

Verwendung

• Use a negative tú command for an informal instruction to one person: No corras.
• Use no + usted for a polite or formal instruction: No pase, por favor.
• Use no + ustedes when addressing two or more people in Latin America: No lleguen tarde.
• Place pronouns before the command: No me llames; No se vayan.

Beispiele

• No cierres la puerta. — Don’t close the door.
• No me llames después de las diez. — Don’t call me after ten.
• No se preocupe, señora. — Don’t worry, ma’am.
• No salgan sin sus llaves. — Don’t leave without your keys.

Typischer Fehler

❌ No cierra la puerta.

✅ No cierres la puerta.

A negative tú command uses the present subjunctive form cierres, not the indicative form cierra.

Merke

Put no first, then any pronouns, then the verb. Negative commands use subjunctive forms.