Negative Commands with Subjunctive

Level 5

Negative commands use present subjunctive with weak pronouns before the verb.

How It Works

Contrast fes-ho with no ho facis and vine with no vinguis. The negative instruction uses a subjunctive form rather than merely adding no to the affirmative command. Any weak-pronoun cluster appears between no and the verb.

In multi-step instructions, keep each command's polarity and addressee consistent. Obriu el fitxer, però no el deseu changes from an affirmative imperative with a full object to a negative subjunctive with a preposed pronoun. With a two-pronoun group, no me'l passeu preserves the cluster before the verb. Do not let a preceding positive command pull later negative pronouns into an attached position.

Examples (3)

  1. Obriu el fitxer, però no el deseu.

    Open the file, but do not save it.

  2. No me'l passeu encara.

    Do not pass it to me yet.

  3. No us n'oblideu.

    Do not forget it.

How It Connects

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Negative Commands with SubjunctiveLevel 5

Learn This First

Use subjunctive and preposed pronouns in a negative command.

Words in This Pattern