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Spanish (Latin America)

Operating heavy machinery requires strict safety protocols. When reading manuals, warning signs, or public notices, you will notice a unique way of giving instructions.

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### Impersonal instructions with infinitives

Usually, when you tell someone to do something, you conjugate the verb into a command. However, for general directions—like those found in a safety manual, a recipe, or on a public sign—Spanish often uses the raw, unconjugated infinitive. 

This makes the instruction "impersonal." It does not single out a specific *tú* or *usted*; instead, it applies broadly to anyone and everyone reading it.

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### Negative instructions

To forbid an action, the rule is incredibly simple: just place **no** directly in front of the infinitive. You have likely seen this structure on signs in public spaces, such as *No fumar* (No smoking) or *No estacionar* (No parking).

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### Attaching pronouns

When using an infinitive, any object or reflexive pronouns attach directly to the end of the verb to form one single word. This rule remains true even when giving an impersonal instruction, whether affirmative or negative.

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Whether you are operating an industrial loom or writing out house rules, independent infinitives are the perfect tool for setting clear, universal boundaries.

Impersonal instructions (infinitives)

adjective

adverb

auxiliary verb

conjunction

determiner

expression

interjection

noun

numeral

prep

preposition

pronoun

sentence

verb

Subject pronouns and the verb to be (yo soy)

Noun gender and definite articles (el, la)

Basic sentences and negation (no)

Indefinite articles (un, una)

Formal and informal you (tú vs. usted)

Plural pronouns and the verb to be (somos, son)

Making nouns plural (-s, -es)

Plural articles (los, las, unos, unas)

Noun gender exceptions

Adjective agreement

Invariable adjectives

State and location (estar)

Ser vs. estar

There is / there are (hay)

Hay vs. estar

To have (tener)

Possession (de)

Possessive adjectives (mi, tu, su)

Regular -ar verbs

Yes/No questions

What and who (qué, quién)

Regular -er verbs

Regular -ir verbs

Asking where (dónde, adónde)

How, when, and why (cómo, cuándo, por qué)

How much and how many (cuánto)

Days of the week

Going to a place (ir a)

Preposition contractions (al, del)

In and by (en)

With me and with you (conmigo, contigo)

Prepositional pronouns (mí, ti)

Conjunctions (y, o, pero)

Giving reasons (porque)

Stem-changing verbs (e to ie)

Stem-changing verbs (o to ue)

Stem-changing verbs (e to i)

Irregular yo forms (hago, salgo)

To know (saber vs. conocer)

Weather expressions (hace, está)

Desires and plans (querer)

Ability and requests (poder)

Obligations (tener que)

Expressing likes (me gusta)

Plural likes (me gustan)

Verbs like gustar (encantar, doler)

Very vs. a lot (muy, mucho)

Numbers 0 to 15 (cero, uno, dos…)

Numbers 16 to 31 (dieciséis, veinte…)

Numbers 30 to 1000 (treinta, cien, mil)

Months of the year (enero, febrero, marzo)

Seasons and dates (el dos de mayo)

Telling time (es la..., son las...)

Ordinal numbers 1st to 10th (primero, segundo, tercero)

Reflexive pronouns and verbs (me, te, se, nos)

Direct object pronouns (lo, la, los, las)

The near future (ir a)

The present continuous (estar + -ando, -iendo)

Near demonstrative adjectives (este, esta, estos, estas)

Medium demonstrative adjectives (ese, esa, esos, esas)

Comparatives of inequality (más / menos ... que)

Comparatives of equality (tan ... como)

Indefinite and negative pronouns (algo, nada, alguien, nadie)

Affirmative commands

Far demonstratives (aquel, aquella)

Possessive pronouns (el mío, el tuyo)

Shortened indefinite adjectives (algún, ningún)

Adverbs of quantity (demasiado, bastante)

Adverbs of frequency (a menudo, a veces)

Adverb formation (-mente)

Exclamations (¡Qué...!)

Irregular comparatives (mejor, peor, mayor, menor)

Relative superlatives (el más... de)

Adjective intensification (-ísimo)

Indirect object pronouns

Pronoun placement with infinitives

Double object pronouns (me lo, te la)

The 'se lo' rule (se lo, se la)

Impersonal statements (se)

Impersonal obligation (hay que)

Personal obligation (deber)

Starting actions (empezar a)

Finishing and quitting actions (terminar de, dejar de)

Repeating actions (volver a)

Continuing actions (seguir + gerundio)

Question	Answer
loom	el telar
The loom is dangerous when it is open.	El telar es peligroso cuando está abierto.
functioning	el funcionamiento
Verify the functioning of the loom.	Verificar el funcionamiento del telar.
Upon starting the machine, verify its functioning.	Al arrancar la máquina, verificar su funcionamiento.
mandatory	obligatorio
It is mandatory to know the functioning of the loom.	Es obligatorio conocer el funcionamiento del telar.
It is not only mandatory, but also necessary.	No solo es obligatorio, sino también necesario.
Maintain visual contact with the machine.	Mantener contacto visual con la máquina.
Do a visual review of the gear.	Hacer una revisión visual del engranaje.
protection	la protección
Use protection upon entering the factory.	Usar protección al entrar a la fábrica.
There was an accident for not using protection.	Hubo un accidente por no usar protección.
to remove	retirar
Do not remove the protection during the operation.	No retirar la protección durante el funcionamiento.
Remove the dust from the loom to avoid a fire.	Retirar el polvo del telar para evitar un incendio.
bobbin	la bobina
Change the bobbin with care.	Cambiar la bobina con cuidado.
to insert	introducir
Insert the thread into the new bobbin.	Introducir el hilo en la bobina nueva.
Do not insert your hands in the gear.	No introducir las manos en el engranaje.
roller	el rodillo
Clean the roller with oil.	Limpiar el rodillo con aceite.
The roller got jammed for not lubricating the gear.	El rodillo se atascó por no lubricar el engranaje.
fiber	la fibra
Add the fiber to the roller.	Añadir la fibra al rodillo.
The fiber is very thick.	La fibra es muy gruesa.
daily	diariamente
Check the loom daily.	Revisar el telar diariamente.
overalls	el overol
Always use the overalls, even to clean the machine.	Usar siempre el overol, hasta para limpiar la máquina.
lubricant	el lubricante
Add the lubricant to the gear.	Añadir el lubricante al engranaje.
Check the gear if the machine had made noise.	Revisar el engranaje si la máquina había hecho ruido.
Do not take off the overalls from morning until night.	No quitarse el overol desde la mañana hasta la noche.
Add the lubricant to the loom daily.	Añadir el lubricante al telar diariamente.