Ch 22 · Lesson 9Spanish · Chapter 22 · Lesson 9 · Grammar primer
Siéntese, no se siente: pronouns and politeness
Pronouns go on the end of a yes and in front after no. commands are the polite way to give an instruction, and speaks to a group.
The short version
, .
Why?Hide
With and , the pronoun goes on the end of a yes, usually with an accent: , . After no, it moves in front: , . To a group, add -n before the pronoun: .
Pronouns: siéntese, no se siente
With a command to do something, the pronouns go on the end, written as one word. After no, they go in front of the verb:
| Do it | Don't do it | English |
|---|---|---|
. | . | Sit down. / Don't. |
. | . | Tell me. / Don't tell me. |
. | . | Get up. / Don't. (a group) |
. | . | Bring me the menu. / Don't bring me anything. |
The written accent on and keeps the stress where it was: the pronoun adds a syllable after it. With , one pronoun leaves a two-syllable word that needs no accent: Deme . - Give me your name.
Usted, ustedes and politeness
The command changes with who you are talking to:
- .
- .
- .
Siéntate: sit down (to a friend, tú). Siéntese: sit down (to an older stranger, usted). Siéntense: sit down (to a group, ustedes).
An command is not bossy. In a shop, an office or a doctor's surgery it is the normal way to give an instruction, and favor makes it fully courteous. A question softens it further:
- Siéntese.an instruction
- Siéntese, por favor.polite
- ¿Puede sentarse?can you
- ¿Podría sentarse, por favor?could you
In Latin America, is the only plural "you", so . goes to friends as well as strangers. In Spain, friends get the command, Sentaos., and stays formal.
Mistakes English speakers make
| Wrong | Right | Why |
|---|---|---|
| takes the subjunctive | |
| No | | after no, the pronoun goes first |
| , | , | a group takes |
| Pagen | | g becomes gu before e |
| () | | built from the yo form, |
Going further: Formal commands at a glance and the rest of the guide, when you want them. This lesson does not need them.
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