Affirmative informal imperative: "Usted" y "Ustedes"

When do you use this form? (Formal commands)

Use this grammar to give an order, instruction, or professional advice to:

• Usted = one person (formal: client, candidate, manager)
• Ustedes = several people (formal/plural: team, candidates)

Typical context: emails, interviews, workplace instructions, customer service.

The key rule: it uses the present subjunctive

The formal imperative is not a special tense. It is:

• Usted → 3rd person singular of the present subjunctive
• Ustedes → 3rd person plural of the present subjunctive

How to build it fast (2 steps you can reuse)

1. Start from yo in the present:

   • hablo, contrato, me presento

2. Drop the -o and add the opposite endings:

   • -ar verbs → e / en: hable, hablen; contrate, contraten
   • -er / -ir verbs → a / an: responda, respondan; escriba, escriban

Pronouns: where do “se / me / lo” go?

With affirmative formal commands, pronouns go attached to the end:

• Presente + se → Preséntese (Present yourself)
• Envíe + me → Envíeme el CV (Send me your CV)
• Explique + lo → Explíquelo con un ejemplo (Explain it with an example)

Note: accents may appear to keep pronunciation: presente → preséntese, explique → explíqueme.

Common mistakes to avoid (quick fixes)

• Mixing tú and usted:

  Habla con Recursos Humanos. → Hable con Recursos Humanos. (formal)

• Singular vs plural:

  To one person: Hable… / To a group: Hablen…

• Wrong word order with “se”:

  Se presente a las nueve. → Preséntese a las nueve.

Self-check: can you produce the form?

• 1) Choose who: Usted (one) or Ustedes (group)

• 2) Find the verb type: -ar or -er/-ir

• 3) Build the subjunctive: -ar → e/en, -er/-ir → a/an

• 4) Attach pronouns (affirmative): preséntese, envíeme, díganos

If you can do these 4 steps, you can give clear formal instructions in professional Spanish.