Learn Spanish (Latin America): No ensucies la cuna.

No ensucies la cuna.

Do not dirty the crib.

Breakdown of No ensucies la cuna.

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Questions & Answers about No ensucies la cuna.

Why does an "-ar" verb like "ensuciar" end in "-es" here?

For negative tú commands (telling someone not to do something), Spanish uses a swapped ending. For -ar verbs, you drop the normal ending and add -es. That is why ensuciar becomes no ensucies.

Would I use the same ending if I told someone TO dirty the crib?

No. Affirmative tú commands (telling someone to do something) use the normal he/she/it present tense form. To say "dirty the crib," you would simply say ensucia la cuna. The ending changes depending on whether the command is negative or affirmative.

Is the verb "ensuciar" related to the adjective "sucio"?

Exactly! Sucio means "dirty." Spanish often creates verbs from adjectives by adding en- to the beginning and -ar to the end. So ensuciar literally translates to "to make dirty."

Do I need an accent mark on the "i" in "ensucies"?

No accent mark is needed. The spoken stress falls naturally on the u (en-SU-cies). The i and e blend together into one smooth syllable at the end of the word without needing a written accent.