Spanish · A1 · Family moment
Your Helpful Part in Spanish
This guide focuses on teaching children responsibility through daily chores using simple Spanish commands softened with 'please' (por favor). At a CEFR A1 level, we use the informal 'tú' form for commands.
What you'll learn
- Learn basic Spanish verbs for household chores.
- Practice using the informal imperative (tú) to give simple directions.
- Understand how to use 'por favor' to make requests polite.
Spanish phrases for your helpful part
Por favor, guarda tu ropa.
Please put your clothes away.
'Guarda' comes from 'guardar' (to keep/put away).
Limpia tu escritorio, por favor.
Clear your desk, please.
'Limpia' can mean 'clean' or 'clear'.
Por favor, saca la basura.
Please take out the rubbish.
'Saca' is the command form of 'sacar' (to take out).
Pon tu plato en el lavavajillas, por favor.
Put your plate in the dishwasher, please.
'Pon' is a short, irregular form of 'poner' (to put).
Por favor, dale de comer al gato.
Please feed the cat.
Literally: 'Give of to eat to the cat'.
Riega las plantas, por favor.
Water the plants, please.
'Riega' comes from 'regar' (to water).
Por favor, cuelga tu toalla.
Please hang up your towel.
'Cuelga' comes from 'colgar' (to hang).
Pon tus zapatos en el estante, por favor.
Put your shoes on the shelf, please.
'Estante' is the word for a single shelf.
Hear these phrases and practise them
Tildi plays every phrase out loud, tests you in five-minute lessons and builds them into bedtime stories from your own picture books.
Try it free for 7 daysKey words
Por favor
Please
Can be placed at the start or end of a sentence.
Lavavajillas
Dishwasher
A compound word: 'lava' (washes) + 'vajillas' (dishes).
Basura
Rubbish / Trash
Commonly used in all Spanish-speaking countries.
Ropa
Clothes
In Spanish, this is usually singular (the clothing).
The Informal Imperative (Tú)
To tell a child to do something, use the 'tú' command form. For regular verbs, this usually looks just like the 'he/she' form in the present tense.
| Use | Form | Example |
|---|---|---|
| -AR Verbs | Ends in -a | Limpia (Clean), Saca (Take out) |
| -ER/-IR Verbs | Ends in -e | Come (Eat), Barre (Sweep) |
| Irregular | Short forms | Pon (Put), Haz (Do/Make) |
More examples
Por favor, pon esto aquí.
Please, put this here.
A very common general request.
Limpia la mesa, por favor.
Clean the table, please.
Used after meals.