DELE B1 Formal Commands: Practice Test & Review
Formal commands (usted and ustedes) are one of the most tested grammar points on the DELE B1 exam. They appear in reading passages with instructions, in listening sections with polite requests, and in cloze exercises that contrast formal and informal address. If you can’t switch between “habla” and “hable,” you’ll lose easy points.
This page gives you a five-part practice quiz: an evaluation set to see where you stand, three practice sets to drill the forms and uses, and a challenge set to confirm mastery. If you get stuck, scroll down for the full explanation. Ready? Start with the evaluation set below.
Grammar Guide
The Rule
Formal commands are used with usted and ustedes — for people you address politely: strangers, elders, superiors, clients, officials. They are formed by taking the yo form of the present tense, dropping the -o, and adding the opposite vowel: -ar verbs take -e, -er and -ir verbs take -a.
For ustedes, add -n to the usted form. The same irregular yo forms that appear in the present subjunctive appear here.
Regular Forms (usted)
| Verb | Yo form | Formal command (usted) | Translation |
|---|---|---|---|
| hablar | hablo | hable | speak |
| comer | como | coma | eat |
| escribir | escribo | escriba | write |
| estudiar | estudio | estudie | study |
| resolver | resuelvo | resuelva | resolve |
| vivir | vivo | viva | live |
The pattern: yo form, drop -o, add opposite vowel. -ar → -e. -er / -ir → -a.
Regular Forms (ustedes)
| Verb | Usted form | Ustedes form | Translation |
|---|---|---|---|
| hablar | hable | hablen | speak |
| comer | coma | coman | eat |
| escribir | escriba | escriban | write |
| estudiar | estudie | estudien | study |
| resolver | resuelva | resuelvan | resolve |
| vivir | viva | vivan | live |
Add -n to the usted form for ustedes.
Irregular Forms
Verbs with irregular yo forms in the present tense keep that irregularity in the formal command.
| Verb | Yo form | Usted command | Ustedes command | Translation |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| ir | voy | vaya | vayan | go |
| ser | soy | sea | sean | be |
| estar | estoy | esté | estén | be |
| saber | sé | sepa | sepan | know |
| dar | doy | dé | den | give |
| hacer | hago | haga | hagan | do / make |
| decir | digo | diga | digan | say |
| venir | vengo | venga | vengan | come |
| tener | tengo | tenga | tengan | have |
| poner | pongo | ponga | pongan | put |
| salir | salgo | salga | salgan | leave |
| oír | oigo | oiga | oigan | hear |
Dar uses dé (with an accent) in the usted form to distinguish it from de (preposition). The ustedes form den has no accent.
Formal vs. Informal Commands
| Register | Pronoun | Ending pattern | Example (hablar) | Example (comer) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Informal | tú | -a / -e | habla | come |
| Informal plural | vosotros | -ad / -ed | hablad | comed |
| Formal | usted | -e / -a | hable | coma |
| Formal plural | ustedes | -en / -an | hablen | coman |
The vowels flip between informal and formal: informal tú commands use the third-person present form, formal commands use the opposite vowel.
Common Mistakes
- Using the informal form with a formal subject.
✗ Señor, habla más despacio.
✓ Señor, hable más despacio.
Señor signals usted, which requires the formal command. - Using the formal form with a friend.
✗ Amigo, hable conmigo.
✓ Amigo, habla conmigo.
Amigo signals tú, which requires the informal command. - Forgetting the accent on dé.
✗ Señor, de un paso adelante.
✓ Señor, dé un paso adelante.
Dé carries an accent to distinguish it from the preposition de. - Using the wrong vowel for the verb type.
✗ Señor, coma la verdad. (for decir)
✓ Señor, diga la verdad.
Decir takes diga, not coma — the vowel depends on the verb, not the speaker.
Quick Decision Chart
| Ask yourself | Answer | Form |
|---|---|---|
| Is the person formal (usted)? | Yes | Yo form, drop -o, add -e (for -ar) or -a (for -er/-ir) |
| Is the group formal (ustedes)? | Yes | Usted form + -n |
| Is the person informal (tú)? | Yes | Third-person present form |
| Is the group informal (vosotros)? | Yes | Infinitive + -d |
| Does the verb have an irregular yo form? | Yes | Use that stem + formal ending |
| Is the verb dar (usted)? | Yes | dé (with accent) |
Two Sentences That Show the Difference
Amigo, habla más despacio.
Friend, speak more slowly.
- Habla = informal tú command
Señor, hable más despacio.
Sir, speak more slowly.
- Hable = formal usted command
Haz la tarea.
Do the homework.
- Haz = informal tú command of hacer
Haga la tarea.
Do the homework.
- Haga = formal usted command of hacer
