Irregular Affirmative Tu Commands | The 8 Forms You Need

Affirmative tú commands are the Spanish “do this” verbs you use with one person you’re on familiar terms with. They pop up in classroom directions, family talk, and quick texts. If you’ve ever told someone “Come here,” “Tell me,” or “Be careful,” you’ve used the same idea in English.

Most affirmative tú commands follow a simple pattern, then a small set of high-frequency verbs refuses to play along. That’s where students lose points. This article makes that small set easy to spot, easy to memorize, and easy to use in real sentences.

What An Affirmative Tú Command Does

An affirmative tú command tells one person to do something. It can sound friendly, firm, playful, or serious, depending on your voice and context. The grammar stays the same either way.

How Regular Affirmative Tú Commands Work

For regular verbs, the usual shortcut is: use the él/ella/usted present-tense form as the command. Once you know present tense, this feels familiar.

• hablar → habla
• comer → come
• vivir → vive

The tricky part is not the rule. It’s remembering which verbs ignore it.

Why Some Affirmative Tú Commands Turn Irregular

Spanish keeps older, shorter command forms for a few verbs people use constantly. These verbs settled into punchy commands that don’t match the regular pattern. The upside is simple: it’s a short list with huge payoff.

When teachers talk about the “true irregular” affirmative tú commands, they usually mean eight verbs. Learn these eight as a set and you’ll cover the bulk of what shows up on quizzes and in everyday Spanish.

Irregular Affirmative Tu Commands With Sticky Recall

Many students remember the infinitives with the phrase “Vin Diesel has ten weapons.” It’s goofy, and that’s why it sticks. The phrase points to these eight verbs: venir, decir, salir, hacer, tener, poner, ser, ir.

Now pair each infinitive with its command form. Say them out loud. Your mouth will remember the rhythm fast.

The Eight Forms

• venir → ven (come)
• decir → di (say, tell)
• salir → sal (leave, go out)
• hacer → haz (do, make)
• tener → ten (have, hold)
• poner → pon (put, place)
• ser → sé (be)
• ir → ve (go)

Two Details That Save Points

• sé needs the accent. Without it, se becomes a different word.
• ve is not built from vas. Treat ve as its own command word.

How Each Irregular Command Sounds In A Sentence

It’s easier to own a form when you’ve heard it in real phrasing. Read these aloud, then cover the English and try to translate back into Spanish.

Haz

Haz fits tasks, favors, and quick actions.

• Haz la tarea. (Do the homework.)
• Hazme un favor. (Do me a favor.)
• Hazlo ahora. (Do it now.)

Di

Di is common in fast back-and-forth talk.

• Di la verdad. (Tell the truth.)
• Dime tu nombre. (Tell me your name.)
• Di “hola”. (Say “hi.”)

Ve

Ve works for directions and quick errands.

• Ve a casa. (Go home.)
• Ve a la tienda. (Go to the store.)
• Ve por agua. (Go get water.)

Pon

Pon shows up when you set something down, put something on, or start music.

• Pon el libro aquí. (Put the book here.)
• Pon música. (Put on music.)
• Pon la mesa. (Set the table.)

Sal

Sal is direct and common, often with time words.

• Sal temprano. (Leave early.)
• Sal de aquí. (Get out of here.)
• Sal con cuidado. (Go out carefully.)

Sé

Sé is used for identity and traits, so tone matters.

• Sé amable. (Be kind.)
• Sé honesto. (Be honest.)
• Sé tú mismo. (Be yourself.)

Ten

Ten often appears in set phrases you’ll hear all the time.

• Ten cuidado. (Be careful.)
• Ten paciencia. (Have patience.)
• Ten esto. (Take this.)

Ven

Ven is friendly and frequent, especially with aquí and conmigo.

• Ven aquí. (Come here.)
• Ven conmigo. (Come with me.)
• Ven a ver esto. (Come see this.)

Core Irregular Forms At A Glance

Use this table as a one-page check. Cover the middle column and quiz yourself.

Infinitive	Affirmative Tú Command	Plain Meaning
venir	ven	come
decir	di	say / tell
salir	sal	leave / go out
hacer	haz	do / make
tener	ten	have / hold
poner	pon	put / place
ser	sé	be
ir	ve	go

How To Avoid Mixing These With “Regular But Weird-Looking” Commands

Some verbs look strange in commands because their present-tense stems change, yet the command still follows the regular rule. That’s different from the eight true irregulars above.

Stem-Changers Still Follow The Regular Pattern

These are regular affirmative tú commands built from the present él/ella/usted form:

• pensar → piensa
• dormir → duerme
• pedir → pide

If you’re staring at a command and the verb is not one of the eight, your first guess should be “regular,” even if the stem changed.

Pronouns In Affirmative Tú Commands

Pronouns are a classic grade-killer because the verb can be right while the placement is wrong. For affirmative commands, object pronouns attach to the end of the verb.

One Pronoun

• Dime. (Tell me.)
• Ponlo aquí. (Put it here.)
• Hazla hoy. (Do it today.)

Two Pronouns

Keep the usual order: indirect object first, then direct object.

• Dámelo. (Give it to me.)
• Pónselo. (Put it on him/her.)

Accents After Pronouns

When pronouns attach, Spanish may add an accent to keep the stress where it belongs.

• Dime stays short and clean.
• Dímelo adds an accent so it still sounds right.

Fast Practice That Builds Real Speed

Lists are nice, yet you need quick recall under time pressure. These drills move you from recognition to production. Do one round a day and you’ll feel the shift fast.

Drill 1: Say The Command Out Loud

Look at the cue, pause for one beat, then say the Spanish command. Speak it, don’t just think it.

English Cue	Verb	Spanish Command
Come here.	venir	Ven aquí.
Tell me your name.	decir	Dime tu nombre.
Go home.	ir	Ve a casa.
Put the book here.	poner	Pon el libro aquí.
Leave early.	salir	Sal temprano.
Be kind.	ser	Sé amable.
Be careful.	tener	Ten cuidado.
Do the homework.	hacer	Haz la tarea.

Drill 2: Flip A Present-Tense Sentence Into A Command

Start with a simple tú sentence, then convert it into a command without changing the meaning.

• Tú vienes conmigo. → Ven conmigo.
• Tú dices la verdad. → Di la verdad.
• Tú haces la tarea. → Haz la tarea.
• Tú sales ahora. → Sal ahora.

Drill 3: Add A Pronoun Without Losing The Shape

Say the plain command, then attach a pronoun. Keep your pace steady.

• Di. → Dime. → Dímelo.
• Pon. → Ponlo. → Pónselo.
• Haz. → Hazlo.

Common Errors And Quick Fixes

Most mistakes come from guessing on the spot. Catch the pattern of your errors, then patch it with one simple habit.

Using The Present Tú Form As A Command

It’s tempting to turn tú vas into vas as a command. Standard Spanish uses ve for “go.”

Dropping The Accent On Sé

If you mean “be,” write sé with the accent. Without it, you’ve written a different word.

Separating Pronouns From The Verb

With affirmative commands, don’t place object pronouns before the verb. Attach them: dime, ponlo, hazlo.

Mixing Up Sal And Sé

They’re both short and both start with s. Tie each to a mini cue: sal = “step out,” sé = “be a certain way.” A tiny cue can save you on a timed test.

Irregular Affirmative Tu Commands

Use this last section as a final check before a quiz. If you can say each pair without pausing, you’re in good shape.

• venir → ven
• decir → di
• salir → sal
• hacer → haz
• tener → ten
• poner → pon
• ser → sé
• ir → ve

When you write or speak, rely on recall, not guesswork. Pull the form you know, attach pronouns when you need them, and keep the sentence moving.