Level 3 — Intermediate (CEFR: B1)
Unit 11 — Commands: The Imperative
Lesson 3 — Nosotros Commands
Lesson Overview
Level: 3 — Intermediate Unit: 11 — Commands: The Imperative Lesson: 3 of 5 Estimated Time: 60 minutes
What this lesson covers:
- Nosotros commands: “Let us…” / “Let’s…”
- Formation: present subjunctive nosotros form
- The hortatory function: inviting shared action
- Reflexive nosotros commands
- The curriculum key sentences and their interpretive rendering
- Why nosotros commands are the language of corporate worship and corporate call to action
- The difference between vamos a + infinitive and vayamos as “let’s go”
The Function: Hortatory Commands
A nosotros command is not an order issued to someone else — it is an invitation to do something together. In English: “Let’s…” or “Let us…”
Oremos. — Let’s pray. / Let us pray. Cantemos. — Let’s sing. Sigamos a Cristo. — Let’s follow Christ.
These are the commands of corporate worship, team prayer, group commissioning, and collective spiritual action. They are the language of “we” — and in ministry settings, they are everywhere.
Formation
Nosotros commands use the nosotros form of the present subjunctive.
| Infinitive | Nosotros subjunctive | Nosotros command |
|---|---|---|
| orar | oremos | Oremos — Let’s pray |
| cantar | cantemos | Cantemos — Let’s sing |
| seguir | sigamos | Sigamos — Let’s follow |
| ir | vayamos | Vayamos — Let’s go |
| hacer | hagamos | Hagamos — Let’s do / make |
| ser | seamos | Seamos — Let’s be |
| creer | creamos | Creamos — Let’s believe |
| dar | demos | Demos — Let’s give |
| predicar | prediquemos | Prediquemos — Let’s preach |
| leer | leamos | Leamos — Let’s read |
| servir | sirvamos | Sirvamos — Let’s serve |
| buscar | busquemos | Busquemos — Let’s seek |
| anunciar | anunciemos | Anunciemos — Let’s announce / proclaim |
| pararse | parémonos | Parémonos — Let’s stand |
The Curriculum Key Sentences
From the curriculum: Oremos. Cantemos. Sigamos a Cristo. No nos rindamos.
These four are the anchor sentences for this lesson. They represent:
- Oremos — the call to prayer
- Cantemos — the call to worship
- Sigamos a Cristo — the call to discipleship
- No nos rindamos — the call to perseverance
Each deserves full treatment.
Oremos — Let Us Pray
This is one of the most common phrases in Christian Spanish. It opens prayer, transitions to prayer, and closes meetings. Any leader calling a group to prayer uses this form.
Oremos juntos. — Let us pray together. Oremos por los perdidos en esta comunidad. — Let us pray for the lost in this community. Oremos antes de comenzar. — Let us pray before we begin. Antes de terminar, oremos. — Before we end, let us pray. ¿Pueden ponerse de pie? Oremos. — Can you stand? Let us pray.
Interpretation: The transition Oremos is instantaneous: “Let us pray” or simply “Let’s pray.” When followed by content, render the content phrase before the hands go up.
Cantemos — Let Us Sing
Cantemos al Señor un cántico nuevo. — Let us sing to the Lord a new song. Cantemos juntos este himno. — Let us sing this hymn together. Cantemos con todo el corazón. — Let us sing with all our heart. ¿Listos? Cantemos. — Ready? Let’s sing.
Sigamos a Cristo — Let Us Follow Christ
Sigamos is the nosotros command of seguir — a stem-changing -IR verb (e → i in subjunctive). The form is sigamos, not seguamos.
Sigamos a Cristo con todo el corazón. — Let us follow Christ with all our heart. Sigamos al Cordero dondequiera que vaya. — Let us follow the Lamb wherever He goes. Sigamos el camino que Él trazó para nosotros. — Let us follow the path He marked for us.
No Nos Rindamos — Let Us Not Give Up
From the curriculum. This is a negative nosotros command. The structure is: no + nosotros subjunctive.
No nos rindamos uses the reflexive: rendirse (to give up/surrender). The reflexive pronoun nos attaches meaning: “let us not give ourselves up.”
No nos rindamos aunque sea difícil. — Let us not give up even though it is difficult. No nos rindamos — la recompensa está cerca. — Let us not give up — the reward is near. No nos cansemos de hacer el bien. — Let us not grow weary of doing good. No nos desanimemos — Dios no nos ha abandonado. — Let us not be discouraged — God has not abandoned us. No nos apartemos del camino de la vida. — Let us not depart from the path of life.
Reflexive Nosotros Commands
With reflexive verbs, the reflexive pronoun nos attaches to the end of affirmative commands (dropping the final -s of the verb before the pronoun):
| Verb | Nosotros command | With reflexive nos |
|---|---|---|
| levantarse | levantemos + nos | Levantémonos — Let us rise |
| reunirse | reunamos + nos | Reunámonos — Let us gather |
| comprometerse | comprometamos + nos | Comprometámonos — Let us commit |
| consagrarse | consagremos + nos | Consagrémonos — Let us consecrate ourselves |
Note the accent on the third-to-last syllable: levantémonos, reunámonos.
For negative reflexive nosotros commands, the pronoun stays separate before the verb: No nos rindamos. No nos cansemos. No nos desanimemos.
Vamos vs. Vayamos
There are two ways to say “let’s go”:
Vamos — the most common form in everyday Spanish; affirmative only Vamos a la iglesia. — Let’s go to church. (also “we are going”) ¡Vamos! — Let’s go! (exclamation)
Vayamos — the formal subjunctive form; used in more formal or literary contexts Vayamos adonde el Señor nos guíe. — Let us go wherever the Lord leads us.
For negative: only no vayamos (not no vamos) No vayamos por el camino ancho. — Let us not go down the wide road.
In ministry speech, ¡Vamos! appears frequently in informal contexts. In sermon rhetoric or formal calls, vayamos is more elevated.
Ministry Context: The Communal Call
Nosotros commands are the language of shared identity and collective action. They appear in:
- Opening worship: Cantemos, adoremos, levantemos nuestras manos.
- Sermon conclusion: Seamos hacedores de la Palabra, no solamente oidores.
- Corporate prayer: Oremos, intercedamos, declaremos la Palabra.
- Ministry commissioning: Vayamos al mundo. Prediquemos el evangelio. Sirvamos a los pobres.
- Encouragement: No nos rindamos. No nos desanimemos. Sigamos corriendo con paciencia.
- Collective commitment: Comprometámonos a orar los unos por los otros.
The interpreter in any of these settings must produce “let’s” + infinitive immediately.
Practice Exercises
Exercise 1 — Nosotros Command Formation
Produce the nosotros command for each verb:
orar, cantar, seguir, hacer, ser, dar, leer, servir, predicar, buscar, creer, ir
Answers: oremos, cantemos, sigamos, hagamos, seamos, demos, leamos, sirvamos, prediquemos, busquemos, creamos, vayamos
Exercise 2 — Reflexive Nosotros Commands
Produce the full form with attached pronoun:
levantarse → levantémonos reunirse → reunámonos consagrarse → consagrémonos comprometerse → comprometámonos
Exercise 3 — Corporate Worship Passage Interpretation
A partner reads the following. You interpret consecutively:
Iglesia, en este momento quiero que nos pongamos de pie. Adoremos al Señor juntos. Cantemos con todo el corazón. Levantemos nuestras manos en señal de entrega. No seamos observadores — seamos participantes. Comprometámonos hoy a vivir para Él. Sigamos a Cristo dondequiera que nos lleve. No nos rindamos aunque el camino sea difícil. Oremos.
Target:
Church, in this moment I want us to stand. Let us worship the Lord together. Let us sing with all our heart. Let us raise our hands as a sign of surrender. Let us not be observers — let us be participants. Let us commit today to live for Him. Let us follow Christ wherever He leads. Let us not give up even though the road is difficult. Let us pray.
Exercise 4 — Commissioning Speech Production
Produce a 5–7 sentence commissioning speech using at least five nosotros commands. Imagine you are sending a team out on a short-term mission. Then interpret it into English.
Key Takeaways for This Lesson
Before moving to Lesson 4:
- Nosotros commands = nosotros present subjunctive form
- They express “let us” — a hortatory invitation to shared action
- Curriculum anchors: Oremos. Cantemos. Sigamos a Cristo. No nos rindamos.
- Reflexive nosotros commands attach nos to the end (with accent): levantémonos, reunámonos
- Negative: no + nosotros subjunctive, pronoun stays separate: no nos rindamos
- “Let’s go” in ministry: vamos (informal) or vayamos (formal); negative always no vayamos
Daily Practice
The four anchor sentences from the curriculum, expanded daily:
Oremos juntos hoy. — Let us pray together today. Cantemos al Señor un cántico nuevo. — Let us sing to the Lord a new song. Sigamos a Cristo con todo el corazón. — Let us follow Christ with all our heart. No nos rindamos — la victoria es del Señor. — Let us not give up — the victory belongs to the Lord.
Each day add one more nosotros command to the sequence. By the end of a week: a seven-sentence corporate worship call you can render instantly in both directions.