Level 3 — Intermediate (CEFR: B1)
Unit 11 — Commands: The Imperative
Lesson 1 — Informal Commands (tú)
Lesson Overview
Level: 3 — Intermediate Unit: 11 — Commands: The Imperative Lesson: 1 of 5 Estimated Time: 75 minutes
What this lesson covers:
- Affirmative tú commands: formed from the él/ella present indicative
- The 8 irregular affirmative tú commands to memorize
- Negative tú commands: no + tú present subjunctive
- Ministry sentences for both affirmative and negative commands
- Why informal commands saturate preaching, discipleship, and pastoral speech
- The interpreter’s challenge: rendering command urgency in English
Affirmative Tú Commands: The Rule
Affirmative tú commands use the él/ella present indicative form — not the yo form, not an infinitive, and not the subjunctive.
| Infinitive | él/ella present | Tú command |
|---|---|---|
| hablar | habla | Habla — Speak! |
| comer | come | Come — Eat! |
| vivir | vive | Vive — Live! |
| predicar | predica | Predica — Preach! |
| orar | ora | Ora — Pray! |
| creer | cree | Cree — Believe! |
| seguir | sigue | Sigue — Follow! |
| servir | sirve | Sirve — Serve! |
| compartir | comparte | Comparte — Share! |
| escuchar | escucha | Escucha — Listen! |
Stem changes carry through: pedir → pide, volver → vuelve, sentir → siente.
The 8 Irregular Affirmative Tú Commands
From the curriculum: ven, di, haz, sal, ten, sé, ve, pon.
These eight do not follow the él/ella rule. They must be memorized as complete forms:
| Infinitive | Irregular tú command | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| venir | ven | Come! |
| decir | di | Say! / Tell! |
| hacer | haz | Do! / Make! |
| salir | sal | Leave! / Go out! |
| tener | ten | Have! / Hold! |
| ser | sé | Be! |
| ir | ve | Go! |
| poner | pon | Put! / Place! |
Memory hook: Ven, di, haz, sal, ten, sé, ve, pon — eight one-syllable commands, all irregular. In ministry speech these are the most frequent commands: ven (come to the front), di (say this prayer), haz (make disciples), sal (go out on mission), ten (have faith), sé (be faithful), ve (go!), pon (place your faith).
Ministry applications of the eight:
Ven al Señor tal como eres. — Come to the Lord just as you are. Di esta oración en voz alta. — Say this prayer aloud. Haz discípulos dondequiera que vayas. — Make disciples wherever you go. Sal en misión con valentía. — Go out on mission with courage. Ten fe — Dios cumple sus promesas. — Have faith — God keeps his promises. Sé fiel en lo poco, y Dios te pondrá sobre lo mucho. — Be faithful in little, and God will set you over much. Ve adonde Dios te llame. — Go where God calls you. Pon tu confianza en el Señor, no en tus propias fuerzas. — Put your trust in the Lord, not in your own strength.
Ministry Affirmative Tú Commands
Discipleship and instruction: Habla de tu fe con valentía. — Speak about your faith with courage. Lee la Palabra de Dios cada día. — Read God’s Word every day. Ora sin cesar. — Pray without ceasing. Cree en el Señor Jesucristo. — Believe in the Lord Jesus Christ. Sigue a Cristo sin mirar atrás. — Follow Christ without looking back. Sirve a los que tienen menos que tú. — Serve those who have less than you. Comparte el evangelio con tu vecino. — Share the gospel with your neighbor. Obedece la Palabra de Dios. — Obey God’s Word. Perdona como Cristo te ha perdonado. — Forgive as Christ has forgiven you.
Invitation and response: Recibe a Cristo en tu corazón ahora. — Receive Christ in your heart now. Entrega tu vida al Señor. — Give your life to the Lord. Arrepiéntete y cree en el evangelio. — Repent and believe in the gospel. Levanta tu mano si quieres que oremos por ti. — Raise your hand if you want us to pray for you.
Negative Tú Commands: The Rule
Negative tú commands use no + the tú present subjunctive form. This is different from the affirmative.
| Infinitive | Tú subjunctive | Negative tú command |
|---|---|---|
| hablar | hables | No hables — Don’t speak! |
| venir | vengas | No vengas — Don’t come! |
| decir | digas | No digas — Don’t say! |
| hacer | hagas | No hagas — Don’t do! |
| ser | seas | No seas — Don’t be! |
| ir | vayas | No vayas — Don’t go! |
| tener | tengas | No tengas — Don’t have! (Don’t fear!) |
From the curriculum: No hables, no vengas, no digas, no hagas.
Ministry applications of negative commands:
No tengas miedo — Dios está contigo. — Don’t be afraid — God is with you. No te rindas — el Señor te sostiene. — Don’t give up — the Lord sustains you. No endurezcas tu corazón. — Don’t harden your heart. No te avergüences del evangelio. — Don’t be ashamed of the gospel. No pongas tu confianza en el hombre. — Don’t put your trust in man. No temas — soy yo. — Do not be afraid — it is I. No dejes para mañana lo que Dios te llama a hacer hoy. — Don’t put off until tomorrow what God calls you to do today. No seas tibio — sé caliente o frío. — Don’t be lukewarm — be hot or cold. No te preocupes — ora. — Don’t worry — pray.
Affirmative vs. Negative: The Asymmetry
The most important practical point of this lesson is the asymmetry:
| Affirmative | Negative | |
|---|---|---|
| Regular | él/ella present indicative | no + tú subjunctive |
| venir | ven | no vengas |
| decir | di | no digas |
| hacer | haz | no hagas |
| ir | ve | no vayas |
| ser | sé | no seas |
The irregulars in the affirmative are completely different from the negatives. Ven (come!) vs. no vengas (don’t come!) — same verb, completely different form. This asymmetry must be internalized.
The Interpreter’s Challenge: Command Urgency
From the curriculum:
In altar calls and ministry invitations, the speaker often shifts rapidly between commands and narrative. Train yourself to hear command forms and render them with appropriate urgency in English.
The challenge is not just vocabulary — it is register. A Spanish command delivered with pastoral warmth must arrive in English with the same warmth. A command delivered with prophetic urgency must arrive with urgency. Commands delivered in a sequence build momentum; the interpreter must maintain that momentum.
Strategies:
- Hear the command form (él/ella indicative shape or subjunctive shape after no) → immediately flag: this is imperative → produce English imperative
- Preserve the speaker’s intensity: soft, warm commands → “Come…” Hard prophetic declarations → “Come!”
- Do not soften commands to suggestions: ¡Arrepiéntete! → “Repent!” not “You should repent.”
Practice Exercises
Exercise 1 — Affirmative Command Formation
Produce the affirmative tú command for each verb:
hablar, creer, vivir, orar, seguir, servir, venir, decir, hacer, salir, tener, ser, ir, poner
Answers: habla, cree, vive, ora, sigue, sirve, ven, di, haz, sal, ten, sé, ve, pon
Exercise 2 — Negative Command Formation
Produce the negative tú command for each verb:
hablar, creer, vivir, venir, decir, hacer, ir, ser, poner, tener
Answers: no hables, no creas, no vivas, no vengas, no digas, no hagas, no vayas, no seas, no pongas, no tengas
Exercise 3 — Ministry Command Pairs
For each action, produce both the affirmative and negative tú command with a ministry sentence:
orar: Ora por los que persiguen a la iglesia. / No dejes de orar por ellos. seguir: Sigue a Cristo con todo el corazón. / No sigas a los falsos profetas. hacer: Haz discípulos en tu comunidad. / No hagas nada por ambición egoísta.
Exercise 4 — Rapid Fire Interpretation
A partner reads commands. You render them into English immediately:
Ora. → “Pray.” No tengas miedo. → “Don’t be afraid.” Ven al frente. → “Come to the front.” No endurezcas tu corazón. → “Don’t harden your heart.” Sé fiel. → “Be faithful.” No te rindas. → “Don’t give up.” Haz discípulos. → “Make disciples.” Di la verdad. → “Speak the truth.”
Key Takeaways for This Lesson
Before moving to Lesson 2:
- Affirmative tú command: él/ella present indicative form
- 8 irregular affirmative tú commands: ven, di, haz, sal, ten, sé, ve, pon
- Negative tú command: no + tú present subjunctive
- The asymmetry: affirmative and negative forms are completely different
- Preserve command urgency in interpretation — do not soften imperatives to suggestions
Daily Practice
The 8 irregular tú commands as a daily ministry sequence:
Ven — di — haz — sal — ten — sé — ve — pon
One ministry sentence each, daily: Ven a Cristo. Di la verdad. Haz discípulos. Sal en misión. Ten fe. Sé fiel. Ve donde Dios te llame. Pon tu confianza en Él.
When these are automatic, add the negative counterparts: no vengas al mundo, no digas mentiras, no hagas nada sin Él…