The Imperative Mood (Affirmative Commands) of recoger is used to give direct orders or instructions, for example: Recoge la basura. (Pick up the trash.)

This verb follows the -ger to -ja spelling-changing conjugation pattern, where the g changes to j before the vowel endings.

Conjugations

Conjugations of Recoger (to pick up) in the Imperative Mood (Affirmative Commands) tense (Latin American Spanish):

Recoger generally means to pick up, collect or gather, but has several different meanings in the Imperative Mood (Affirmative Commands), some of which might surprise you.

To pick up or collect: This is the most common meaning. For example, ¡Recoge tus juguetes del piso! (Pick up your toys from the floor!)

To gather or harvest: For example, ¡Recoge las manzanas maduras del árbol! (Gather the ripe apples from the tree!)

To take in or shelter: For example, ¡Recoge a ese perrito de la calle! (Take in that little dog from the street!)

To pick up or retrieve: For example, ¡Recoge tu ropa de la tintorería! (Pick up your clothes from the dry cleaner!)

To tidy up or clean up: For example, ¡Recoge este desorden antes de que lleguen los invitados! (Tidy up this mess before the guests arrive!)

Slang: To pick up or hit on someone: For example, ¡Recoge a esa chica linda de una vez! (Hit on that pretty girl already!)

Examples

Examples of Recoger in the Imperative Mood (Affirmative Commands)

¡Recoge tus juguetes antes de ir a la cama! (Pick up your toys before going to bed!)

Por favor, recojamos la basura del parque para mantenerlo limpio. (Please, let’s pick up the trash from the park to keep it clean.)

Mamá, recoja las toallas del piso cuando termine de bañarse. (Mom, pick up the towels from the floor when you’re done showering.)

Antes de salir de viaje, recoge toda tu ropa sucia. (Before going on a trip, pick up all your dirty clothes.)

En la oficina, recojan sus áreas de trabajo al final del día. (At the office, pick up your work areas at the end of the day.)

¡Recoge tus cosas del suelo, por favor! (Pick up your stuff from the floor, please!)

Después de la fiesta, recojamos todos los platos y vasos. (After the party, let’s pick up all the plates and cups.)

Antes de irnos, recoja cualquier basura que vea en el parque. (Before we leave, pick up any trash you see in the park.)

¡Recoge tus calcetines del piso de tu habitación! (Pick up your socks from your bedroom floor!)

Cuando termines de comer, recoge tu plato y vaso. (When you’re done eating, pick up your plate and cup.)

Por favor, recojan sus pertenencias antes de abandonar el avión. (Please pick up your belongings before leaving the plane.)

Después del picnic, recojamos todas las servilletas y envolturas. (After the picnic, let’s pick up all the napkins and wrappers.)

Antes de irme a trabajar, recojo la ropa de la secadora. (Before going to work, I pick up the clothes from the dryer.)

¡Recoge tus libros del piso antes de que alguien se tropiece! (Pick up your books from the floor before someone trips!)

Cuando salgas de la biblioteca, recoge todos los libros que usaste. (When you leave the library, pick up all the books you used.)

Conjugations with English Translations

Conjugations of Recoger (to pick up) 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.