The Imperative Mood (Affirmative Commands) of Quemar is used to give direct orders or instructions to burn something, for example ¡Quema esa carta! (Burn that letter!).

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

Conjugations

Conjugations of Quemar (to burn) in the Imperative Mood (Affirmative Commands) tense (Castilian Spanish):

Quemar generally means to burn or set on fire, but has several different meanings in the Imperative Mood (Affirmative Commands), some of which might surprise you.

Literal meaning: To burn or set something on fire, for example, ¡Quema esa basura! (Burn that trash!)

Figurative meaning: To consume or use up something quickly, for example, ¡Quema esas calorías en el gimnasio! (Burn those calories at the gym!)

Slang meaning: To leave or depart quickly, for example, ¡Quémate de aquí antes de que llegue la policía! (Get out of here before the police arrive!)

Idiomatic meaning: To cause embarrassment or discomfort, for example, ¡Quema esa foto comprometedora antes de que alguien la vea! (Burn that compromising photo before someone sees it!)

Rude meaning: To insult or criticize someone harshly, for example, ¡Quémate, idiota! (Burn, you idiot!) Note: This usage is considered very rude and should be avoided in most contexts.

Examples

Examples of Quemar in the Imperative Mood (Affirmative Commands)

¡Quema esa carta de una vez! (Just burn that letter already!)

Para encender la fogata, quememos algunas ramas secas. (To start the campfire, let’s burn some dry branches.)

Mamá, ¿puedo quemar estas viejas facturas en la chimenea? (Mom, can I burn these old receipts in the fireplace?)

Antes de irnos de vacaciones, quemad todos los papeles confidenciales de la oficina. (Before we go on vacation, burn all the confidential papers from the office.)

Para deshacerse de las malas vibras, algunos dicen que hay que quemar salvia y palo santo. (To get rid of bad vibes, some say you have to burn sage and palo santo wood.)

¡No quemen la hierba! Hay niños presentes. (Don’t burn the grass! There are children present.)

En la hoguera, quememos todos estos viejos muebles que ya no usamos. (In the bonfire, let’s burn all this old furniture we no longer use.)

¡Queme esa horrible foto de su ex, amiga! (Go ahead and burn that horrible photo of your ex, friend!)

Dicen que si quemas una vela verde, atraes la buena suerte. (They say if you burn a green candle, you attract good luck.)

Para la noche de fogata, quememos toda esta leña vieja del patio. (For the bonfire night, let’s burn all this old firewood from the backyard.)

Conjugations with English Translations

Conjugations of Quemar (to burn) 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.