Understanding Correct Pronoun Placement in Spanish Commands
Instruction:
Compare the following well-formed translations with grammatically incorrect sentences (indicated with an asterisk at the beginning) and note any patterns you recognize:
English Right Wrong
Don't eat the candy. No comas el dulce. *No come el dulce.
Don't tell lies. No digas mentiras. *No dice mentiras.
Don't speak English. No hables inglés. *No habla inglés.
Don't eat bread. No comas pan. *No come pan.
Don't read the book. No leas el libro. *No lee libro.
Answer:
The problem with the other sentences is they are in the he/she form.
Explanation:
The correct ones are directed to you. You "don't eat the candy" but the wrong sentences are directed to he/she.
"He doesn't eat the candy" and it's in the past. The correct ones are telling you to do something "don't eat the candy" and the wrong ones are saying that he/she doesn't do something. "He/she doesn't eat the candy... no come el dulce" The verb forms are different in both sentences.
Hope this helps :)
Question:
What is the pattern to follow when giving commands in Spanish?
Answer:
From Edge 2021
Explanation:
Commands - Correct Pronoun Placement
Pattern: When giving commands, pronouns must be placed in certain positions in the sentence.
Affirmative Commands:
Direct and indirect objects are attached to the command. An accent must be added to the verb to maintain the correct stress pronunciation. When direct and indirect objects are used together, the indirect always comes first.
Examples:
Come la manzana. ¡Cómela! = Eat the apple. Eat it!
¡Dámela! = Give it to me! (the apple)
Negative Commands:
For negative commands, the pronouns are put before the verb. Again, the indirect object pronoun comes before the direct object pronoun.
Examples:
No me hables. = Don't talk to me.
No se lo digas. = Don't tell it to her. (referring to el secreto)