Formal irregular commands (sea, vaya, tenga)

When giving respectful instructions—like to a judge, lawyer, or jury—use the formal usted and ustedes commands. Some essential verbs have irregular command forms. Here are the affirmative commands for ser (to be), ir (to go), and tener (to have):

InfinitiveUsted CommandUstedes Command
ser (to be)seasean
ir (to go)vayavayan
tener (to have)tengatengan

Here are the irregular usted commands in action:

Have patience with the jury, lawyer.
Tenga paciencia con el jurado, abogado.
Go to the trial tomorrow, please.
Vaya al juicio mañana, por favor.
Be professional in the trial, please.
Sea profesional en el juicio, por favor.

When addressing a group, use the ustedes form, which adds an -n:

Be clear, lawyers.
Sean claros, abogados.
Go to the prison now.
Vayan a la prisión ahora.
Have the evidence ready for the case.
Tengan la prueba lista para el caso.

These commands set a professional tone, perfect for navigating a trial:

Lawyer, go to the trial because the law is clear.
Abogado, vaya al juicio porque la ley es clara.