The Imperative Mood (Affirmative Commands) of Ser is used to give direct orders or instructions related to being or existing, for example Sé paciente. (Be patient.)

Ser is an irregular verb, meaning its conjugations do not follow the typical patterns of regular verbs. Its imperative forms must be memorized individually.

Conjugations

Conjugations of Ser (to be) in the Imperative Mood (Affirmative Commands) tense (Castilian Spanish):

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

To exist or be present: for example, Sé tú mismo (Be yourself).

To behave or act in a certain way: for example, Sed buenos (Be good).

To become or transform into something: for example, Sed valientes (Be brave).

To serve a purpose or function: for example, Sed mis ojos (Be my eyes).

To belong or be part of something: for example, Sed de los nuestros (Be one of us).

To be located or situated: for example, Sed aquí a las 8 (Be here at 8).

To be in a certain condition or state: for example, Sed pacientes (Be patient).

To be suitable or appropriate: for example, Sed discretos (Be discreet).

Colloquial/Slang usage: for example, Sed realistas (Be realistic, stop dreaming).

Examples

Examples of Ser in the Imperative Mood (Affirmative Commands)

¡Sé tú mismo! (Be yourself!)

Por favor, sea paciente mientras esperamos en la fila. (Please be patient while we wait in line.)

Amigos, seamos respetuosos con las tradiciones locales. (Friends, let’s be respectful of local traditions.)

Equipo, sed puntuales para la reunión de las 9 am. (Team, be on time for the 9 am meeting.)

Estudiantes, sean atentos durante la presentación. (Students, be attentive during the presentation.)

Oye, sé más considerado con tus vecinos, ¿quieres? (Hey, be more considerate of your neighbors, will you?)

Para tener éxito, sean persistentes y trabajen duro. (To be successful, be persistent and work hard.)

En esta situación difícil, seamos compasivos. (In this difficult situation, let’s be compassionate.)

Hija, sé valiente y persigue tus sueños. (Daughter, be brave and pursue your dreams.)

Cuando viajen, sean respetuosos con las costumbres locales. (When traveling, be respectful of local customs.)

En la entrevista de trabajo, sed seguros y mostradles lo mejor de ustedes. (In the job interview, be confident and show them your best.)

Oye, no seas tan duro contigo mismo. (Hey, don’t be so hard on yourself.)

Para una vida plena, sean agradecidos por las pequeñas cosas. (For a fulfilling life, be grateful for the little things.)

En el debate, seamos respetuosos y escuchemos los diferentes puntos de vista. (In the debate, let’s be respectful and listen to different viewpoints.)

Cuando enfrenten un desafío, sean valientes y perseverantes. (When facing a challenge, be brave and persevere.)

Conjugations with English Translations

Conjugations of Ser (to be) 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.