EL IMPERATIVO DE “USTED”
The imperative is a verb form used to give orders, formulate requests, and grant or deny favors.
The imperative of “usted” is formed in the following way:
| HABLAR | COMER | VIVIR | |
| USTED | hable | coma | viva |
| USTEDES | hablen | coman | vivan |
As you can see, the difference between the imperative and the “normal” present indicative forms lies in the final vowel:
a → e e/i → a
Compare:
- Juan habla (normal action in the indicative).
- Hable, Juan (a request in the imperative).
Irregular verbs in the present maintain the irregularities of the first person singular.
| VOLVER | ENCENDER | PEDIR | PONER | CONOCER | |
| 1ª Sing. indicativo |
vuelvo | enciendo | pido | pongo | conozco |
| imperativo USTED |
vuelva | encienda | pida | ponga | conozca |
| imperativo USTEDES |
vuelvan | enciendan | pidan | pongan | conozcan |
The imperative for usted of the verb ir is vaya, vayan.
In the affirmative imperative of reflexive verbs, the pronoun goes at the end, and added to the verb.
| LEVANTARSE | BEBERSE | SUBIRSE | |
| USTED | levántese | bébase | súbase |
| USTEDES | levántense | bébanse | súbanse |
In these forms, the accent is always present.
In the negative form, the pronoun comes before and separate from the verb.
| NO LEVANTARSE | NO BEBERSE | NO SUBIRSE | |
| USTED | no se levante | no se beba | no se suba |
| USTEDES | no se levanten | no se beban | no se suban |
Other personal pronouns work in the same way.
- Escríbale – No le escriba
The imperative of usted is seldom employed in Spanish. It’s used when the person we’re addressing is not on close terms with us, or for older people. Doctors always use it when telling patients what they have to do or what medications to take.
Other people in positions of authority, such as the police, also use it.
It’s frequently used to give permission.
–¿Puedo sentarme?
–Claro, siéntese, por favor.
It’s also employed when denying permission.
–¿Puedo levantarme?
–No, lo siento, no se levante, por favor.
MUY Y MUCHO
Muy is used with adjectives and adverbs.
- Este libro está muy bien.
- El tren va muy rápido.
- María es muy guapa.
Mucho and its variants (mucha, muchos and muchas) are used with nouns and verbs.
- Javier trabaja mucho.
- Javier tiene muchos libros.
There are words that can function as both nouns and adjectives. Compare:
- Hace mucho frío (sustantivo).
- El café está muy frío (adjetivo).
Mucho, bastante and demasiado come before nouns and after verbs:
- Tengo mucho trabajo (sustantivo).
- Trabajo (verbo) mucho.
- Tengo demasiados libros (sustantivo).
- Leo (verbo) demasiado.