The Imperative Mood (Affirmative Commands) of Construir is used to give direct orders or instructions to build or construct something, for example: ¡Construye una casa! (Build a house!). It allows you to directly command someone to perform the action of building.

This verb follows the -uir to -uye spelling-changing conjugation pattern, where the u changes to uy in certain conjugations to maintain the original vowel sound.

Conjugations

Conjugations of Construir (to build) in the Imperative Mood (Affirmative Commands) tense (Castilian Spanish):

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

Literal meaning: To build or construct something physical, for example, ¡Construye esa casa! (Build that house!)

Figurative meaning: To build or develop something abstract like a relationship, career or idea, for example, ¡Construye tu futuro! (Build your future!)

Colloquial meaning: An exaggerated way to tell someone to do something thoroughly or properly, for example, ¡Construye ese informe bien! (Do that report properly!)

Vulgar slang (rude): In very informal situations, it can crudely mean to have sex, for example, ¡Construyela bien! (Screw her good!) This usage is considered extremely vulgar.

Examples

Examples of Construir in the Imperative Mood (Affirmative Commands)

¡Construye un castillo de arena en la playa! (Build a sandcastle on the beach!)

Para la clase de arte, construyamos una escultura con materiales reciclados. (For the art class, let’s build a sculpture with recycled materials.)

Mamá, construye una casa de muñecas para tu hija. Le encantará jugar con ella. (Mom, build a dollhouse for your daughter. She will love playing with it.)

Equipo, construyan un prototipo funcional para la próxima reunión. (Team, build a working prototype for the next meeting.)

Antes de salir de campamento, construyamos una fogata y disfrutemos de las estrellas. (Before leaving the campsite, let’s build a campfire and enjoy the stars.)

Arquitecto, construya un edificio sostenible que respete el medio ambiente. (Architect, build a sustainable building that respects the environment.)

¡Construid una cabaña en el árbol para pasar un fin de semana divertido! (Build a treehouse for a fun weekend!)

En el taller de carpintería, construyan una mesa resistente para el comedor. (In the woodworking workshop, build a sturdy table for the dining room.)

Para el proyecto escolar, construye un modelo a escala del sistema solar. (For the school project, build a scale model of the solar system.)

Ingenieros, construyan un puente seguro que resista las condiciones climáticas extremas. (Engineers, build a safe bridge that can withstand extreme weather conditions.)

¡Construyamos un fuerte con almohadas y sábanas para jugar! (Let’s build a fort with pillows and sheets to play!)

Antes de la fiesta, construye una barra de bebidas improvisada en la cocina. (Before the party, build an improvised drink bar in the kitchen.)

En el taller de robótica, construyan un robot que pueda realizar tareas domésticas. (In the robotics workshop, build a robot that can perform household tasks.)

Para el festival de cine, construyamos un set de filmación temporal en el parque. (For the film festival, let’s build a temporary film set in the park.)

¡Construid una rampa de skate en el patio trasero para practicar trucos! (Build a skate ramp in the backyard to practice tricks!)

Conjugations with English Translations

Conjugations of Construir (to build) 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.