Ch 12 · Lesson 8Spanish · Chapter 12 · Lesson 8 · Grammar primer
Dímelo, no me lo digas: pronouns with commands
Pronouns join the end of a yes, with an accent when the stress moves back, and go in front of a no.
The short version
Pronouns go on the end of a yes, before a no
. .
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With a command to do something, the pronouns join the end of the verb as one word: , . When that puts the stress three syllables from the end, add an accent. With a command not to, they go in front and the verb switches to the subjunctive: .
Pronouns on the end
With a command to do something, object and reflexive pronouns go on the end, written as one word. With a command not to, they go in front of the verb:
| Do it | Don't do it | English |
|---|---|---|
. | . | Tell me. / Don't tell me. |
. | . | Get up. / Don't get up. |
. | . | Give me the book. / Don't. |
The extra syllable can move the stress to the third syllable from the end. Spanish then writes an accent on the vowel that was stressed:
| Command + pronoun | Syllables | Accent? |
|---|---|---|
. | no: stress on the first of two | |
. | dá-me- | yes: third from the end |
. | há-bla-me | yes: third from the end |
. | - | no |
The full rules for two pronouns together are on the object pronouns page.
Going further: Every Spanish command on one chart and the rest of the guide, when you want them. This lesson does not need them.
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