Negative Commands

Level 3

To tell someone not to do something, use non + the present subjunctive: Non fales (do not speak), Non comades iso (do not eat that, all of you).

How It Works

The forms

  • falar: non fales, non fale, non falemos, non faledes, non falen
  • comer: non comas, non coma, non comamos, non comades, non coman
  • escribir: non escribas, non escriba, non escribamos, non escribades, non escriban

The nós form works as "let's not": Non falemos disto agora (let's not talk about this now).

Irregular verbs use their irregular subjunctive: non vaias (ir), non fagas (facer), non digas (dicir), non sexas (ser), non teñas (ter), non esteas (estar), non poñas (pór), non veñas (vir).

Pronouns come before the verb because of the negation: Non o toques (do not touch it), Non me digas! (you don't say!), Non vos preocupedes. See pronouns after negatives.

Other negative words work the same way: Nunca lle digas iso (never tell him that), Nin o penses! (don't even think about it).

Formal commands. The negative of vostede commands is built the same way: Non se preocupe, Non se molesten.

Examples (6)

  1. Non fales tan alto, que o neno está durmindo.

    Do not talk so loudly; the child is sleeping.

    Word by Word: Not you-speak so loud, that the child is sleeping.

    Fales is the ti subjunctive of falar.

  2. Non comades iso, que está queimado.

    Do not eat that, all of you; it is burnt.

    Comades is the vós subjunctive of comer.

  3. Non se preocupe, señora, xa o arranxamos nós.

    Do not worry, madam; we will sort it out.

    The vostede form preocupe takes the pronoun se before it after non.

  4. Non vaias só pola noite.

    Do not go alone at night.

    Vaias is the subjunctive of ir.

  5. Nunca lle digas iso á túa nai.

    Never say that to your mother.

    Nunca works like non: the command uses digas and the pronoun lle goes first.

  6. Non teñades medo, o can non morde.

    Do not be afraid, all of you; the dog does not bite.

    Teñades is the vós subjunctive of ter.

Common Mistakes

  • Using the affirmative imperative after non.

    Non fala tan alto!
    Non fales tan alto!

    Non fala is a statement ("he does not speak so loudly"). A negative command needs the subjunctive fales.

  • Using the vós affirmative form in a negative command.

    Non falade todos á vez.
    Non faledes todos á vez.

    Falade is only for positive commands. Negative vós commands use the subjunctive faledes.

  • Attaching the pronoun to the verb in a negative command.

    Non preocúpate.
    Non te preocupes.

    After non, the pronoun goes before the verb, and the verb changes to the subjunctive.

How It Connects

Tap a pattern to see what it builds on and what it leads to.

Negative CommandsLevel 3

Learn This First

Negative commands use subjunctive forms and place short pronouns before the verb.

Words in This Pattern