A request that doesn't sound like an order
The usted command swaps the vowel. Verbs in -ar take -e: esperar → espere. Verbs in -er and -ir take -a: comer → coma, abrir → abra. This is the form for the plumber, the doctor and the bank clerk. For example: “Espere un momento, por favor” — Wait a moment, please. A rule from the Spanish course: worked out on examples, not memorized as a wording.
How it works
The usted command swaps the vowel. Verbs in -ar take -e: esperar → espere. Verbs in -er and -ir take -a: comer → coma, abrir → abra. This is the form for the plumber, the doctor and the bank clerk.
For tú it is easier: take the él form of the present. Espera — wait. Firma aquí — sign here. A dozen common verbs go their own way: ven, ten, pon, haz, di, sal.
Pronouns stick to the end: espéreme, explíquemelo. The word grows longer, and an accent appears that the plain form never had.
A bare command sounds blunt in Spain, so people soften it into a question. ¿Me puede ayudar? ¿Podría venir mañana? With por favor at the end, almost anything passes.
Table
| infinitive | tú | usted |
|---|---|---|
| esperar | espera | espere |
| rellenar | rellena | rellene |
| comer | come | coma |
| abrir | abre | abra |
| venir | ven | venga |
By example
- Espere un momento, por favorWait a moment, please
- Rellene el formulario y firme abajoFill in the form and sign at the bottom
- ¿Me puede explicar esto otra vez?Could you explain this to me one more time?
How the rule settles in your head
A rule is not memorized from an explanation. It is memorized from an attempt to use it and a mistake — that is why the app delivers it mixed in with words, not as a separate lesson: it resurfaces exactly where you forgot it.
Frequently asked
A request that doesn't sound like an order: how does it work in Spanish?
The usted command swaps the vowel. Verbs in -ar take -e: esperar → espere. Verbs in -er and -ir take -a: comer → coma, abrir → abra. This is the form for the plumber, the doctor and the bank clerk.
What does it look like in an example sentence Spanish?
“Espere un momento, por favor” — Wait a moment, please. A rule is easier to test on sentences like this than to memorize as a wording: what surfaces in conversation is the sentence.