The Imperative Mood (Affirmative Commands) of gastar is used to give direct orders or instructions, for example: Gasta el dinero sabiamente. (Spend the money wisely.)

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

Conjugations

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

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

To spend money: for example, ¡Gasta ese dinero en algo útil! (Spend that money on something useful!)

To consume or use up: for example, ¡Gasta toda la comida antes de que se eche a perder! (Use up all the food before it goes bad!)

To waste or squander: for example, ¡No gastes tu tiempo en tonterías! (Don’t waste your time on nonsense!)

Colloquial: To tease or make fun of: for example, ¡Gasta al tonto ese con tus bromas! (Tease that fool with your jokes!)

Slang: To beat or defeat: for example, ¡Gástalos en el partido y demuestra quién manda! (Beat them in the game and show who’s boss!)

Examples

Examples of Gastar in the Imperative Mood (Affirmative Commands)

¡Gasta tu dinero sabiamente! (Spend your money wisely!)

Amigos, gastemos nuestro presupuesto con cuidado en las vacaciones. (Friends, let’s spend our vacation budget carefully.)

Señores, gasten su dinero en experiencias memorables, no en cosas materiales. (Folks, spend your money on memorable experiences, not material things.)

Antes de salir, gasta algo de dinero en un buen mapa de la ciudad. (Before going out, spend some money on a good city map.)

Para ahorrar, gasta menos en comida rápida y cocina en casa. (To save money, spend less on fast food and cook at home.)

Mamá, gastemos un poco más en decoraciones navideñas este año. (Mom, let’s spend a bit more on Christmas decorations this year.)

Jóvenes, gasten su dinero con prudencia y ahorren para el futuro. (Young people, spend your money prudently and save for the future.)

Antes de viajar, gasta en un buen seguro de viaje por si acaso. (Before traveling, spend money on a good travel insurance just in case.)

En tu cumpleaños, gasta a lo grande y diviértete. (On your birthday, spend big and have fun.)

Para mantenerte en forma, gasta en una membresía del gimnasio. (To stay in shape, spend money on a gym membership.)

En la reunión familiar, gastemos lo necesario para una buena comida. (At the family gathering, let’s spend what’s needed for a good meal.)

Colegas, gasten su bono de fin de año con sabiduría. (Colleagues, spend your end-of-year bonus wisely.)

Cuando busques trabajo, gasta en ropa profesional para las entrevistas. (When job hunting, spend money on professional clothing for interviews.)

Conjugations with English Translations

Conjugations of Gastar (to spend) 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.