The Imperative Mood (Affirmative Commands) of Sonreír is used to give orders or instructions to smile, for example ¡Sonríe para la foto! (Smile for the photo!).

Sonreír is a stem-changing verb, where the ‘e’ changes to ‘i’ in certain conjugations. This pattern is common for many Spanish verbs.

Conjugations

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

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

Literal meaning: To smile or grin. For example, ¡Sonríe a la cámara! (Smile at the camera!)

Expressing happiness: To show joy or contentment through a smile. For example, ¡Sonríe, que la vida es bella! (Smile, for life is beautiful!)

Friendly gesture: To smile as a way of being polite or welcoming. For example, ¡Sonríe al cliente cuando entre! (Smile at the customer when they come in!)

Sarcastic usage: To smile in a mocking or sarcastic way. For example, ¡Sonríe, que te estás haciendo famoso! (Smile, you’re becoming famous! – said sarcastically when someone does something embarrassing)

Flirtatious meaning: To smile in a flirtatious or seductive manner. For example, ¡Sonríele a ese chico lindo! (Smile at that cute guy!)

Colloquial usage: In some Latin American slang, it can mean to mock or make fun of someone. For example, ¡Sonríele a ese payaso! (Mock that clown!)

Examples

Examples of Sonreír in the Imperative Mood (Affirmative Commands)

¡Sonríe para la foto! (Smile for the picture!)

Vamos, sonrían todos. ¡Quiero una foto familiar! (Come on, everyone smile. I want a family photo!)

En el restaurante, sonríe y sé amable con el mesero. (At the restaurant, smile and be kind to the waiter.)

Aunque estés nervioso, sonríe en la entrevista de trabajo. (Even if you’re nervous, smile during the job interview.)

Mamá, sonríe. ¡Hoy es tu cumpleaños! (Mom, smile. It’s your birthday today!)

Cuando veas a tu crush, sonríe con confianza. (When you see your crush, smile confidently.)

Aunque estés cansado, sonríe a tus amigos cuando los veas. (Even if you’re tired, smile at your friends when you see them.)

Mis abuelos siempre me dicen: “Sonríe, que la vida es bella”. (My grandparents always tell me: “Smile, life is beautiful”.)

Cuando estés en el escenario, sonríe y disfruta del momento. (When you’re on stage, smile and enjoy the moment.)

Aunque sea un día difícil, sonrían. Las sonrisas son contagiosas. (Even if it’s a tough day, smile. Smiles are contagious.)

En la fiesta, sonríe y pásala bien con tus amigos. (At the party, smile and have fun with your friends.)

Conjugations with English Translations

Conjugations of Sonreír (to smile) 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.