Unit 17: Additional grammatical structures
17.4 Second Person Plural (Vosotros) Commands
Vosotros commands are largely heard or appear written in dialogue in Spain. Affirmative vosotros commands are simple to recognize as they are the only verb form in Spanish that ends in a –d. For all verbs, the –r of the infinitive is dropped and a –d is put in its place. As is the case of all negative commands, negative vosotros commands takes the present subjunctive.
| Llegad a tiempo. | Arrive on time. |
| No lleguéis todavía. | Don’t arrive yet. |
| Comed todo. | Eat everything. |
| No comáis ahora. | Don’t eat now. |
| Id ahora. | Go now |
| No vayáis hasta la una. | Don’t go until 1:00. |
In affirmative vosotros commands used reflexively, the –d is dropped. Therefore, for example, levantad + os = Levantaos. (“Get up.”) Acostad + os = Acostaos (“Go to bed”), etc. The only exception occurs with the infinitive irse (“to leave,” “to go away”), in which the –d is retained: Idos = “Go away.”
