The Imperative Mood (Affirmative Commands) of Leer is used to give direct orders or instructions related to reading, for example Lee el libro. (Read the book.)

Leer is a regular -er verb, so its Imperative conjugations follow the standard pattern for this verb type.

Conjugations

Conjugations of Leer (to read) in the Imperative Mood (Affirmative Commands) tense (Latin American Spanish):

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

To read: The most common meaning, for example, ¡Lee este libro! (Read this book!)

To interpret or understand: For example, ¡Lee entre líneas! (Read between the lines!)

To study or examine: For example, ¡Lee las instrucciones con cuidado! (Read the instructions carefully!)

Colloquial: To pay attention or listen: For example, ¡Lee lo que te digo! (Listen to what I’m telling you!)

Rude: To figure something out: For example, ¡Lee la situación, idiota! (Figure out the situation, idiot!) This rude usage implies the person is being dense or slow.

Examples

Examples of Leer in the Imperative Mood (Affirmative Commands)

¡Lee las instrucciones con atención! (Read the instructions carefully!)

Antes de salir, leamos el mapa para no perdernos. (Before leaving, let’s read the map so we don’t get lost.)

Para aprobar el examen, lean el material varias veces. (To pass the exam, read the material several times.)

Mamá, lee este libro de recetas conmigo. (Mom, read this cookbook with me.)

En la reunión, lea el informe en voz alta. (At the meeting, read the report out loud.)

¡Lee las letras pequeñas antes de firmar el contrato! (Read the fine print before signing the contract!)

Para estar al día, leamos las noticias todas las mañanas. (To stay up-to-date, let’s read the news every morning.)

Antes de tomar una decisión importante, lean esta guía de consejos. (Before making an important decision, read this advice guide.)

¿Puedes leer este poema en voz alta? Es muy bonito. (Can you read this poem out loud? It’s very beautiful.)

Para mejorar tu vocabulario, lee un libro en español cada mes. (To improve your vocabulary, read a book in Spanish every month.)

¡Lea las reglas del juego antes de empezar! (Read the game rules before starting!)

Cuando viajemos, leamos sobre la cultura local. (When we travel, let’s read about the local culture.)

Para estar informados, lean artículos de diferentes fuentes. (To stay informed, read articles from different sources.)

¡Lee este libro de autoayuda! Te ayudará a mejorar tu confianza. (Read this self-help book! It will help you improve your confidence.)

Antes de la entrevista, lea sobre la empresa y prepárese. (Before the interview, read about the company and prepare.)

Conjugations with English Translations

Conjugations of Leer (to read) in the Imperative Mood (Affirmative Commands) tense (Latin American Spanish) with English Translations:

This post covers Latin American Spanish. For Castilian 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.