The Imperative Mood (Affirmative Commands) of Cantar is used to give direct orders or instructions to sing, for example ¡Canta esa canción! (Sing that song!).

Cantar is a regular -ar verb, so its Imperative conjugations follow the typical pattern for this verb type.

Conjugations

Conjugations of Cantar (to sing) in the Imperative Mood (Affirmative Commands) tense (Castilian Spanish):

Cantar generally means to sing, but has several different meanings in the Imperative Mood (Affirmative Commands), some of which might surprise you.

To sing: The most common meaning is to sing a song or melody, for example, ¡Canta esa canción! (Sing that song!)

To reveal or disclose: In a figurative sense, it can mean to reveal or disclose information, for example, ¡Canta todo lo que sabes! (Sing everything you know!) This usage is often colloquial.

To complain or whine: In some contexts, it can mean to complain or whine about something, for example, ¡No cantes más! (Don’t whine anymore!) This is an informal, slangy usage.

To inform or snitch: In certain contexts, it can mean to inform on someone or snitch, for example, ¡No cantes nada a la policía! (Don’t snitch anything to the police!) This is a colloquial, sometimes derogatory usage.

Examples

Examples of Cantar in the Imperative Mood (Affirmative Commands)

¡Canta con nosotros! (Sing with us!)

Vamos, cantemos juntos en el karaoke. (Come on, let’s sing together at the karaoke.)

Chicos, cantad con energía en el escenario. (Guys, sing with energy on stage.)

Oye, ¿por qué no cantas algo para animar la fiesta? (Hey, why don’t you sing something to liven up the party?)

Antes de empezar el concierto, el cantante dijo: “Canten y bailen conmigo”. (Before starting the concert, the singer said: “Sing and dance with me”.)

En la reunión familiar, la abuela insistió: “Cantemos villancicos navideños juntos”. (At the family gathering, grandma insisted: “Let’s sing Christmas carols together”.)

El instructor de yoga nos animó: “Canten el mantra conmigo para relajarnos”. (The yoga instructor encouraged us: “Sing the mantra with me to relax”.)

Después del partido, los fanáticos vitorearon: “¡Canten el himno del equipo!”. (After the game, the fans cheered: “Sing the team’s anthem!”)

En el campamento de verano, el líder nos dijo: “Cantad esta canción mientras caminamos”. (At the summer camp, the leader told us: “Sing this song while we walk”.)

Antes de la obra de teatro, el director nos recordó: “Canten con claridad y proyección”. (Before the play, the director reminded us: “Sing with clarity and projection”.)

En la boda, el padrino bromeó: “¿Listos para cantar canciones de amor toda la noche?”. (At the wedding, the best man joked: “Ready to sing love songs all night?”)

Conjugations with English Translations

Conjugations of Cantar (to sing) in the Imperative Mood (Affirmative Commands) tense (Castilian Spanish) with English Translations:

This post covers Castilian Spanish. For Latin American Spanish, click here

Synonyms

The Imperative mood is also known as the Command Form, Affirmative Command Mood, or Direct Command Form in English, and as Modo Imperativo, Imperativo Afirmativo, Mandatos Afirmativos, or Forma de Mandato in Spanish.