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Use negative tú commands to tell your Spanish classmate what not to do.

Don't copy (copiar) my homework.
Don't touch (tocar) my phone.
Don't forget (olvidar) your computer.
Don't eat my food.
Don't speak English in class.

User Jinyoung Kim
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1 Answer

13 votes
13 votes

Answer:

  • No copies mi tarea.
  • No toques mi teléfono.
  • No olvides tu computadora.
  • No comas mi comida.
  • No hables inglés en clase.


How to conjugate negative tú commands:

To form a negative tú command, or informal command, in Spanish, start with the yo form of a verb, drop the "o", and add the opposite tú ending. If you've also learned subjunctive form, you'll recognize this as the subjunctive tú conjugation.

The opposite ending for -ar verbs will be "-es" and the opposite ending for -er verbs will be "-as".

For the verbs in your assignment:

Copiar

  • Yo form → copio
  • Drop the "o" → copi
  • Add the opposite ending "-es" → copies

Tocar

Remember that for -car, -gar, and -zar verbs, a spelling change is required to make sure the verbs keep the same sound when they're conjugated. For this verb, we need to change the "c" to a "qu". If we left it as is, the conjugated verb, "toces" would be pronounced with an s-like sound instead of the hard "c" sound.

  • Yo form → toco
  • Drop the "o" → toc
  • Change the "c" to a "qu" → toqu
  • Add the opposite ending "es" → toques

Olvidar

  • Yo form → olvido
  • Drop the "o" → olvid
  • Add the opposite ending "es" → olvides

Comer

  • Yo form → como
  • Drop the "o" → com
  • Add the opposite ending "as" → comas

Hablar

  • Yo form → hablo
  • Drop the "o" → habl
  • Add the opposite ending "es" → hables

Irregular Verbs

Since the conjugation of negative tú commands follows the subjunctive tú conjugation, you have to look out for verbs that are irregular in the subjunctive. There are six verbs that have irregular subjunctive, and thus irregular negative tú command, forms. When you're learning them, they're usually arranged in the acronym DISHES.

Dar - no des

Ir - no vayas

Saber - no sepas

Haber - no hayas

Estar - no estés

Ser - no seas

Aside from these six verbs, which you have to memorize, any other verbs can be conjugated using the system above.

User Teran
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