Spanish, like English, has various sentence types that serve different functions in communication. The main types are:
- Declarative Sentences (or Enunciativas): These make statements or express facts.
- Interrogative Sentences (or Interrogativas): These ask questions.
- Imperative Sentences (or Imperativas): These give commands or requests.
- Exclamatory Sentences (or Exclamativas): These express strong emotions or reactions.
Each type has its own word order, punctuation, and sometimes special words to signal its function.
Declarative Sentences
Declarative sentences state information, describe reality, or express ideas.
These are the most common sentence type. They can be positive or negative.
Word Order
- Follow the standard Subject-Verb-Object (SVO) order.
- Subject is usually explicit but can be omitted if clear from context.
Examples
| Spanish Example |
|---|
| María estudia para el examen. |
| English Example |
Notes
- In Spanish, subject pronouns (yo, tú, él, etc.) are often omitted because the verb ending indicates the subject.
- Negation is formed by placing no before the verb.
Interrogative Sentences
Interrogative sentences ask for information, confirmation, or clarification.
There are two main types: yes/no questions and open questions.
Yes/No Questions
- Require a simple affirmative or negative answer.
- Word order can remain SVO or invert to Verb-Subject (VS).
- Always begin with an inverted question mark (¿) and end with a regular one (?).
Examples
| Spanish Example |
|---|
| María estudia para el examen. |
| English Example |
Open Questions
- Begin with a question word (qué, cómo, cuándo, dónde, por qué, quién, cuál, etc.).
- Word order usually places the question word at the beginning, followed by the verb.
- Also use inverted question marks.
Examples
| Spanish Example |
|---|
| María estudia para el examen. |
| English Example |
Notes
- In spoken Spanish, intonation alone can signal a yes/no question even without inversion.
- Open questions always require more than a yes/no answer.
Imperative Sentences
Imperative sentences give orders, commands, advice, or requests.
They are directed at one or more people.
Formation
- Use the verb stem (for tú form) or special imperative forms.
- Different forms exist for tú, usted, nosotros, vosotros, ustedes.
- Negative commands use the present subjunctive form.
Examples
| Spanish Example |
|---|
| María estudia para el examen. |
| English Example |
Politeness
- To soften commands, use por favor or replace with podrías + infinitive (e.g., ¿Podrías cerrar la puerta?).
Exclamatory Sentences
Exclamatory sentences express strong feelings such as surprise, joy, anger, or sadness.
Formation
- Begin with an inverted exclamation mark (¡) and end with a regular one (!).
- Use exclamation words like qué or cuánto.
- Word order may be altered for emphasis.
Examples
| Spanish Example |
|---|
| María estudia para el examen. |
| English Example |
Notes
- Exclamations can also be formed as short phrases or single words with strong intonation.
Summary
That’s a clear overview of Spanish sentence types to help you recognize and use them correctly.
| Example (Spanish) | ||
|---|---|---|
| Trabajo tarde hoy. | ||
| Example (English) | ||
| Sentence Type | Purpose | Key Features |
| Declarative | State facts or ideas | SVO order, subject often omitted, no for negation |
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Last updated: Thu Jul 17, 2025