DELE B1 Negative Tú Commands: Practice Test & Review
Negative tú commands are one of the most tested points on the DELE B1 exam. They appear in reading passages with instructions and advice, and in listening sections where someone tells someone else what not to do. If you can’t switch from “habla” to “no hables,” you’ll lose 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
Negative tú commands tell someone not to do something. They are formed with no + the present subjunctive tú form. Unlike affirmative commands, negative tú commands do not have a special form — they use the subjunctive, which means they follow a regular pattern.
Affirmative tú commands are irregular (habla, haz, ven, ve). Negative tú commands are not — once you know the present subjunctive, you know all of them.
Regular Forms
| Verb | Present subjunctive (tú) | Negative tú command | Translation |
|---|---|---|---|
| hablar | hables | no hables | don’t speak |
| comer | comas | no comas | don’t eat |
| escribir | escribas | no escribas | don’t write |
| estudiar | estudies | no estudies | don’t study |
| resolver | resuelvas | no resuelvas | don’t resolve |
| vivir | vivas | no vivas | don’t live |
The pattern: take the yo form of the present tense, drop -o, add the opposite vowel. -ar → -es. -er / -ir → -as.
Irregular Forms
Verbs with irregular yo forms in the present tense keep that irregularity in the negative tú command.
| Verb | Yo form | Negative tú command | Translation |
|---|---|---|---|
| ir | voy | no vayas | don’t go |
| ser | soy | no seas | don’t be |
| estar | estoy | no estés | don’t be |
| saber | sé | no sepas | don’t know |
| dar | doy | no des | don’t give |
| hacer | hago | no hagas | don’t do / make |
| decir | digo | no digas | don’t say |
| venir | vengo | no vengas | don’t come |
| tener | tengo | no tengas | don’t have |
| poner | pongo | no pongas | don’t put |
| salir | salgo | no salgas | don’t leave |
| oír | oigo | no oigas | don’t hear |
| traer | traigo | no traigas | don’t bring |
| conducir | conduzco | no conduzcas | don’t drive |
Stem-changing verbs also change in the negative tú command: no juegues (jugar), no pienses (pensar), no duermas (dormir), no pidas (pedir).
Affirmative vs. Negative
| Verb | Affirmative tú | Negative tú |
|---|---|---|
| hablar | habla | no hables |
| comer | come | no comas |
| escribir | escribe | no escribas |
| hacer | haz | no hagas |
| ir | ve | no vayas |
| ser | sé | no seas |
| venir | ven | no vengas |
| tener | ten | no tengas |
| poner | pon | no pongas |
| salir | sal | no salgas |
Affirmative commands have irregular forms. Negative commands follow the subjunctive pattern. This is the key contrast on the DELE B1 exam.
Pronoun Placement
| Type | Rule | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Affirmative | Pronoun attaches to the verb | Hazlo. Dímelo. |
| Negative | Pronoun comes before the verb | No lo hagas. No me lo digas. |
The placement flips between affirmative and negative.
Common Mistakes
- Using the affirmative form in a negative command.
✗ No habla tan rápido.
✓ No hables tan rápido.
The negative command uses the subjunctive, not the third-person present. - Using the wrong vowel for the verb type.
✗ No hable con desconocidos. (to a friend)
✓ No hables con desconocidos.
Negative tú commands take -es for -ar verbs and -as for -er/-ir verbs. - Attaching the pronoun to a negative command.
✗ No dímelo.
✓ No me lo digas.
Pronouns come before the verb in negative commands. - Forgetting the stem change in the subjunctive.
✗ No juega con fuego.
✓ No juegues con fuego.
Jugar changes u → ue in the subjunctive.
Quick Decision Chart
| Ask yourself | Answer | Form |
|---|---|---|
| Is the command negative? | Yes | No + present subjunctive tú form |
| Is the command affirmative? | Yes | Affirmative tú form (may be irregular) |
| Does the verb have an irregular yo form? | Yes | Use that stem + opposite vowel |
| Does the verb have a stem change? | Yes | Keep the stem change in the subjunctive |
| Is there a pronoun? | Yes | Place it before the verb in negative commands |
Two Sentences That Show the Difference
Habla más despacio.
Speak more slowly.
- Affirmative tú command. Irregular form habla.
No hables tan rápido.
Don’t speak so fast.
- Negative tú command. Subjunctive form hables.
Haz la tarea.
Do the homework.
- Affirmative tú command. Irregular form haz.
No hagas la tarea ahora.
Don’t do the homework now.
- Negative tú command. Subjunctive form hagas.
