Verbs of request and command
When you ask, tell, or recommend that someone else do something, Spanish uses the subjunctive. The first verb expresses the request or recommendation in the normal (indicative) mood. This is followed by que, and then the action being requested is conjugated in the subjunctive mood.
Common verbs that trigger this structure include pedir (to ask/request) and recomendar (to recommend).
| I recommend that you don't go down the slide yet. | Recomiendo que no bajes por el tobogán todavía. |
| They ask that we leave the wristband in the locker. | Piden que dejemos la pulsera en la taquilla. |
| The boss asks that they clean the changing room. | La jefa pide que limpien el vestuario. |
Expressing rules and permission
Verbs used to set rules or grant permission—such as prohibir (to prohibit) and permitir (to allow)—follow the exact same pattern when applying to someone else.
Keep an eye on prohibir, which requires an accent mark on the í in most of its present tense forms (e.g., prohíbe, prohíben).
| The lifeguard prohibits us from using that slide. | El socorrista prohíbe que usemos ese tobogán. |
| They prohibit the bathers from entering the changing room barefoot. | Prohíben que los bañistas entren al vestuario descalzos. |
| They don't allow the children to use the float here. | No permiten que los niños usen el flotador aquí. |
| They prohibit people from jumping from the diving board. | Prohíben que la gente salte desde el trampolín. |
Specifying who receives the request
You will often see an indirect object pronoun (such as me, te, le, nos, or les) placed just before the first verb. This tells us exactly who is being told, advised, or asked to do the action.
| I recommend that you wear flip-flops and don't walk barefoot. | Te recomiendo que lleves chanclas y no camines descalzo. |
