When you give an affirmative command, any object or reflexive pronouns do not sit in front of the verb the way they usually do — they attach directly to the end, forming a single word. This is one of the most recognizable features of Spanish imperatives, and it causes almost every new written accent you will ever write on a command form.
The basic rule
Direct object, indirect object, and reflexive pronouns all attach to affirmative commands. When more than one pronoun appears, the order is always indirect object + direct object, just as elsewhere in Spanish.
¡Dímelo!
Tell it to me!
Hazlo ahora.
Do it now.
Cómelo antes de que se enfríe.
Eat it before it gets cold.
Notice how each pronoun (or pair of pronouns) sticks to the end of the verb with no space, no hyphen, and no apostrophe.
Reflexive commands
Reflexive verbs are especially common in the imperative because so many daily-life instructions involve things you do to yourself. The reflexive pronoun matches the subject of the command.
| Subject | Pronoun | Example (lavarse) |
|---|---|---|
| tú | te | lávate |
| usted | se | lávese |
| nosotros | nos | lavémonos |
| ustedes | se | lávense |
Lávate las manos antes de comer.
Wash your hands before eating.
Siéntese, por favor.
Please sit down.
The nosotros quirk
When a reflexive pronoun attaches to a nosotros command, the final -s of the verb drops before the -nos. You write lavémonos, not lavémosnos.
Vámonos a la playa.
Let's go to the beach.
Sentémonos aquí, hay sombra.
Let's sit here, there's shade.
The same kind of simplification happens with se for indirect objects in some constructions, but the -nos rule is the one you will meet first. For more on the nosotros form itself, see nosotros commands.
Written accents
Attaching pronouns almost always pushes the stress of the word further from the end — but the spoken stress stays on its original syllable. To show that, Spanish adds a written accent.
Habla despacio. → Háblame despacio.
Speak slowly. → Speak to me slowly.
In habla the stress falls naturally on ha, and no accent is needed. But in háblame, the same stress is now the third syllable from the end (antepenultimate), which by default would not be stressed — so you mark it with a written accent.
Dímelo otra vez.
Tell it to me again.
For the full explanation of which accents go where, see accent marks on commands with pronouns.
Contrast with negative commands
Everything changes the moment you put no in front. Affirmative commands attach pronouns to the end; negative commands put them before the verb, in the usual place. See pronouns with negative commands for the flip side of this rule.
Related Topics
- Pronouns with Negative CommandsB1 — Why object and reflexive pronouns come before the verb in negative commands, and how that contrasts with affirmative forms.
- Accent Marks on Commands with PronounsB1 — The stress rules that explain exactly when to add a written accent to a command form with attached pronouns.
- Nosotros Commands (Let's)B1 — Make Let's... suggestions with the present subjunctive nosotros form or with vamos a.