Formal Commands in Spanish (Ud. & Uds.): Complete B1 Guide with Pronouns

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Key Takeaways

• Master the formation rules for affirmative and negative usted and ustedes commands.
• Learn all key irregular verbs (dar, estar, ir, saber, ser).
• Understand the critical rule of pronoun placement: attached to affirmative commands, before negative commands.
• Apply commands with reflexive, direct, and indirect object pronouns in complex instructions.
• Differentiate between formal command forms and the more common present subjunctive usage.

From Polite Requests to Authoritative Instructions
You learned the basics of giving polite orders at A2. At the B1 level, you need to give clear, complex, and grammatically flawless instructions in professional, formal, or respectful contexts. Mastering formal commands (for usted and ustedes) is essential for situations with bosses, clients, elders, or any group you address formally.

What Are Formal Commands?

They are verb forms used to tell someone (usted) or a group (ustedes) to do something in a respectful or formal tone. They are identical to the present subjunctive forms.

Affirmative: Telling someone to do something. “Hable más despacio, por favor.” (Speak more slowly, please.)
Negative: Telling someone not to do something. “No fume aquí.” (Do not smoke here.)

How to Form Formal Commands

Step 1: Find the Present Subjunctive Form

The rule is simple: The usted command is the él/ella/usted form of the present subjunctive. The ustedes command is the ellos/ellas/ustedes form.

Table: Command Formation from Present Subjunctive

Verb Type	Present Subjunctive (Ud.)	Formal Command (Ud.)	Present Subjunctive (Uds.)	Formal Command (Uds.)
-ar verbs	hable	¡Hable! (Speak!)	hablen	¡Hablen! (Speak!)
-er verbs	coma	¡Coma! (Eat!)	coman	¡Coman! (Eat!)
-ir verbs	viva	¡Viva! (Live!)	vivan	¡Vivan! (Live!)

Step 2: Know the Key Irregular Verbs

Some high-frequency verbs are irregular. Memorize these “command form” irregulars:

Table: Essential Irregular Formal Commands

Verb	Ud. Command	Uds. Command	Meaning
Dar (to give)	dé	den	Give
Estar (to be)	esté	estén	Be
Ir (to go)	vaya	vayan	Go
Saber (to know)	sepa	sepan	Know
Ser (to be)	sea	sean	Be

Examples in Context:

• “Esté tranquilo, todo saldrá bien.” (Be calm, everything will be fine.)
• “Vayan directamente a la sala de conferencias.” (Go directly to the conference room.)
• “Por favor, déme su opinión.” (Please give me your opinion.) (Note pronoun attached: dé + me)

💻 Conjugate Any Verb for Commands Instantly

Unsure about the subjunctive form of an irregular verb like conducir or venir? Use our Spanish Verb Conjugation Tool to get the correct usted/ustedes command form instantly, along with all other tenses.

➤ Try the Spanish Verb Conjugation Tool Now

The Golden Rule: Pronoun Placement with Commands

This is the most important B1-level skill for commands. The rule differs for affirmative and negative.

Command Type	Pronoun Placement	Rule	Example
Affirmative	Attached to the end of the command.	Command + Pronoun (as one word)	Siéntese (Sit down). Dígamelo (Tell it to me).
Negative	Before the command.	No + Pronoun + Command	No se siente (Don’t sit down). No me lo diga (Don’t tell it to me).

Critical Details:

1. Accent Marks: When adding pronouns to affirmative commands, you often need to add an accent to maintain the original stress.
   • Siéntese (from siente + se)
   • Explíquenmelo (from expliquen + me + lo)
2. Order of Object Pronouns: Indirect (me, te, le, nos, os, les) comes before Direct (lo, la, los, las). When both are present, le/les change to se.
   • Correct: Dígamelo. (Tell it to me.)
   • Wrong: Dígalome.

Putting It All Together: Complex Formal Instructions

A Manager Giving Instructions:
“Señores, por favor, tomen asiento. Durante la presentación, no usen sus teléfonos móviles. Después, sírvanse un café en el vestíbulo. Aquí tienen los informes; léanlos antes de nuestra próxima reunión. Y por favor, envíenme sus comentarios por correo electrónico.“

Translation:
“Gentlemen, please, have a seat. During the presentation, do not use your cell phones. Afterwards, help yourselves to coffee in the lobby. Here are the reports; read them before our next meeting. And please, send me your comments by email.”

Common Mistakes to Avoid

• Using the Indicative: “Habla más despacio, señor.” (Wrong – this is the tú command/informal). → “Hable más despacio, señor.”
• Misplacing Pronouns in Affirmative Commands: “Lea lo.” (Wrong, separated). → “Léalo.” (Attached).
• Forgetting Accent Marks on Affirmatives with Pronouns: “Sientese” (Wrong, stress is wrong). → “Siéntese.”
• Using “Tú” Forms in Formal Contexts: Always match the command to the person. Usted for one adult, ustedes for a group.
• Incorrect Pronoun Order: “Dígalo me.” (Wrong). → “Dígamelo.” (Indirect me before Direct lo).

Quick Reference Chart

Element	Affirmative Rule	Negative Rule
Formation	Present Subjunctive (Ud./Uds. form)	No + Present Subjunctive
Pronouns	Attached to end of command	Before the command
Accents	Add accent to maintain stress	No accent needed
Irregulars	dé, esté, vaya, sepa, sea	Same irregular stems

Practice Exercise: Attach the Pronouns
Convert the phrase into a formal command (Ud.) with the correct pronoun placement.

1. (sentarse) → __________, por favor. (Sit down, please.)
2. (no / decir / eso / a mí) → __________. (Don’t say that to me.)
3. (traer / lo) → __________ mañana. (Bring it tomorrow.)
4. (no / levantarse) → __________ aún. (Don’t get up yet.)

Answers:

1. Siéntese (Sentarse is reflexive: se + siente -> siéntese).
2. No me lo diga (Negative: pronoun me before command; le changes to se before lo? Wait, “decir eso a mí” uses me as I.O. and lo as D.O. for “eso.” So correct: No me lo diga).
3. Tráigalo (Traer + lo: traiga + lo = tráigalo, accent added).
4. No se levante (Negative reflexive: pronoun se before command).

📚 Review Related Topics: Present Subjunctive | Reflexive Verbs | Direct & Indirect Object Pronouns | Spanish Verb Conjugation Tool

Ready to Give Flawless Formal Instructions?
Mastering command forms and pronoun placement is a hallmark of intermediate fluency. Test your ability to construct polite and authoritative commands in Spanish.

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Pro Tip: In real-world Spanish, especially in Latin America, the present subjunctive is often used for polite requests instead of the bare command form. “¿Puede cerrar la ventana?” (Can you close the window?) or even “Cierre la ventana, por favor.” Both are common, but the subjunctive in a question is extremely polite.