Negation in Commands

Negative commands in Spanish are formed differently from affirmative ones. While affirmative commands have their own distinct forms (especially for tú), negative commands always use the present subjunctive—and object pronouns move to a different position. This page walks through the rules for each person and shows how to avoid the most common mistakes.

The Core Rule

All negative commands, regardless of the person, use the present subjunctive form of the verb. The affirmative tú command form (like habla, come, vive) is not used in the negative.

PersonAffirmativeNegative
túHabla.No hables.
ustedHable.No hable.
nosotrosHablemos.No hablemos.
ustedesHablen.No hablen.

For usted, nosotros, and ustedes, the affirmative and negative look the same—just add no in front. But for tú, the form changes completely.

¡No hables tan rápido!

Don't speak so fast!

No comas tanto azúcar.

Don't eat so much sugar.

No vayas al parque sin tu abrigo.

Don't go to the park without your jacket.

Irregular Tú Negative Commands

Some verbs that have irregular affirmative tú commands switch to a completely different form in the negative. Here are the most common:

VerbAffirmative (tú)Negative (tú)
irveno vayas
serséno seas
tenertenno tengas
hacerhazno hagas
decirdino digas
venirvenno vengas

¡No vayas!

Don't go!

No seas así.

Don't be like that.

Pronoun Placement

This is the biggest practical difference between affirmative and negative commands. In the affirmative, pronouns attach to the end of the verb (dímelo). In the negative, they come before the verb, as separate words.

No me lo digas.

Don't tell me (it).

No se lo des a nadie.

Don't give it to anyone.

No te preocupes.

Don't worry.

Compare the affirmative and negative forms side by side:

AffirmativeNegativeEnglish
Dímelo.No me lo digas.Tell me (it). / Don't tell me (it).
Levántate.No te levantes.Get up. / Don't get up.
Cómpraselo.No se lo compres.Buy it for him. / Don't buy it for him.
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Think of the negative as "unsticking" the pronouns. In the affirmative, they glue to the back of the verb; in the negative, they pop off and move in front—past the no.

Negative Words in Commands

You can combine negative commands with other negative words, following the normal double negation rules.

No le digas nada a nadie.

Don't say anything to anyone.

No vayas nunca a ese lugar solo.

Never go to that place alone.

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Remember that the written accent matters for pronunciation: No hables (negative command) sounds different from No hablas (simple negative statement, you don't speak). Stress is on different syllables.

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