pon/ven/ten/sal/di/haz/ve/sé
Irregular Tú Commands
Eight common verbs have short, irregular forms for affirmative 'tú' commands that you must memorize.
How It Works
To give an informal command to one person (tú), you usually use the same form as the third-person singular (él/ella/usted) in the present tense. For example, the command for 'hablar' is 'habla'. This is the rule for regular affirmative tú commands.
However, there are eight very common verbs that have their own unique, short command forms. You must memorize them as they don't follow the regular pattern.
Here are the eight irregular verbs and their affirmative tú commands:
- decir (to say/tell) → di
- hacer (to do/make) → haz
- ir (to go) → ve
- poner (to put) → pon
- salir (to leave/go out) → sal
- ser (to be) → sé
- tener (to have) → ten
- venir (to come) → ven
A helpful mnemonic to remember these is: "Vin Diesel has ten weapons, eh?" (Ven Di Sal Haz Ten Ve Pon Sé).
It's important to note that these forms are only for affirmative (positive) commands. The negative commands for these verbs follow a different, regular pattern.
Examples (6)
- Di la verdad, por favor.
Tell the truth, please.
Word by Word: Say the truth, for favor.
- Haz la cama antes de salir.
Make the bed before leaving.
Word by Word: Make the bed before of leaving.
- Pon los libros en la mesa.
Put the books on the table.
Word by Word: Put the books on the table.
- Ven conmigo al cine.
Come with me to the movies.
Word by Word: Come with-me to-the cinema.
- Ve a la tienda por leche.
Go to the store for milk.
Word by Word: Go to the store for milk.
The command 've' comes from the verb 'ir' (to go).
- Sé amable con tu hermano.
Be kind to your brother.
Word by Word: Be kind with your brother.
The command 'sé' comes from the verb 'ser' (to be).
Common Mistakes
Using the regular command form instead of the irregular one.
Hace tu tarea.Haz tu tarea.For these eight verbs, you must use the special short, irregular command form. 'Hace' is the third-person present form, but the command is 'haz'.
Using the present-tense 'ves' instead of the command 've'.
Ves la televisión.Ve la televisión.'Ve' is the affirmative 'tú' command of both 'ir' (to go) and 'ver' (to watch/see), so 'Ve la televisión' correctly means 'Watch the TV.' Just don't use the present-tense 'ves' as a command. If you want to avoid the ir/ver ambiguity, you can use 'mira' — the command of the separate verb 'mirar' (to look at), which is not a form of 'ver'.
How It Connects
Learn This First
To learn irregular tú commands, you first need to understand how regular commands are formed so you can identify these eight exceptions. Additionally, familiarity with the present tense of these specific verbs (like poner, decir, and venir) helps in recognizing the roots of these shortened command forms.
- habla/come/escribeAffirmative Tú Commands
Understanding the regular formation of affirmative tú commands (using the third-person singular present form) is essential to recognize these eight forms as irregular exceptions.
Level 2 - pongo/digo/vengo/salgoFirst Person -go Verbs
Many irregular tú commands (pon, di, ven, sal, haz, ten) are derived from the same verbs that have irregular 'yo' forms in the present tense.
Level 1
Related Patterns
- no hables/no comas/no escribasNegative Tú Commands
These irregular forms are only for affirmative commands. Negative commands for these same verbs follow a different (and regular) formation, which is important to learn for contrast.
Level 3 - Pronouns with Commands
A common next step is to add object pronouns to these commands (e.g., 'dime' - tell me, 'hazlo' - do it). This pattern explains how to attach them correctly.
Level 3 - hable/coma/escribaUsted Commands
Contrasts these informal 'tú' commands with the formal 'usted' commands, which are formed differently and used in different social contexts.
Level 3
Learn Next
Patterns that build on this one.
Words in This Pattern
Practice pon/ven/ten/sal/di/haz/ve/sé in Bubblegum
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