Spanish Classroom Phrases for Teachers: Give Instructions with Ustedes
Learn five practical Spanish phrases for teachers to get attention, ask for repetition, set pair work, invite questions and encourage a class, with ustedes commands and regional notes.
By PookieFriends & plans · Yapr Learn
This lesson is for teachers who need to run a class in Spanish. You will learn five reusable phrases that address the whole group with ustedes, the plural 'you' used in Latin America and in formal contexts in Spain. The focus is on clear classroom management: getting attention, asking for repetition, setting pair work, inviting questions and giving encouragement. You will also see how the same idea can be expressed with different regional forms, so you can understand colleagues from other areas without changing your own consistent usage. Each phrase is a complete, speakable sentence. Practice saying them aloud, then adapt the examples to your own subject and level.
By the end, you can…
- get a class's attention and ask them to repeat something using an ustedes command.
- set up pair work, invite questions and encourage students in Spanish.
Listen once. Try it slowly. Then say it without looking.
Checking available voices…
Atención, por favor.
Attention, please.
ah-TEN-syohn, por fah-BOR
A neutral, polite way to bring the group back together. It works at any level and does not sound harsh. In Spain, some teachers say '¡A ver, atención!' to signal a transition.
Repitan después de mí.
Repeat after me.
reh-PEE-tahn des-PWEHS deh MEE
Ustedes command of repetir. Use it when you model a word or sentence and want the whole class to echo it. In Spain, the same form is used in formal contexts; with a familiar group, teachers may say 'Repetid después de mí'.
Trabajen con un compañero.
Work with a partner.
trah-BAH-hen kohn oon kohm-pah-NYEH-roh
Ustedes command of trabajar. It sets pair work without naming genders. If you want to include all students, 'con una compañera o un compañero' is also possible, but the shorter form is common and understood as inclusive in context.
¿Tienen preguntas?
Do you have questions?
TYEH-nehn preh-GOON-tahs
A direct, friendly question to invite doubts. It is neutral and widely used. In some regions, '¿Alguna pregunta?' is equally common and slightly more open-ended.
¡Muy bien, sigan así!
Very good, keep it up!
mwee BYEHN, SEE-gahn ah-SEE
Encouragement for ongoing work. 'Sigan' is the ustedes command of seguir. It praises effort and asks students to continue. For a single student, use '¡Muy bien, sigue así!'.
Pronunciation guides are approximate. Slow playback keeps the original pitch.
Make it make sense
Useful pattern
Most classroom instructions to a group use the ustedes command form. For regular -ar verbs, add -en to the stem: trabajar becomes trabajen. For regular -er verbs, add -an: comer becomes coman. For regular -ir verbs, add -an: escribir becomes escriban. Some common verbs are irregular: repetir becomes repitan, seguir becomes sigan, venir becomes vengan. You can soften a command with 'por favor' or 'cuando puedan'. Examples: 'Escriban la respuesta.' 'Lean el texto.' 'Vengan al frente.' In Spain, informal plural commands end in -d: 'Repetid', 'Trabajad', 'Escribid'. Both systems are correct; choose one and stay consistent.
When to use it
Use ustedes commands when you address the whole class, a group of adults, or any group you would treat with respect. In Latin America, ustedes is the normal plural 'you' in almost all situations, so these forms are the default. In Spain, ustedes is formal; with children or friends, you will hear vosotros commands instead. To invite questions, '¿Tienen preguntas?' works in both regions, though in Spain you may also hear '¿Tenéis preguntas?' in informal settings. To encourage, '¡Muy bien!' is universal; '¡Sigan así!' fits ongoing work, while '¡Buen trabajo!' praises a finished task. If you teach young children, you can still use ustedes to model polite classroom language, but many teachers switch to vosotros in Spain or to tú with individuals.
Listen to each line, then take one part and reply out loud.
Atención, por favor. Repitan después de mí: '¿Cómo estás?'
Attention, please. Repeat after me: 'How are you?'ah-TEN-syohn, por fah-BOR. reh-PEE-tahn des-PWEHS deh MEE: KOH-moh es-TAHS¿Cómo estás?
How are you?KOH-moh es-TAHSMuy bien. Ahora trabajen con un compañero. ¿Tienen preguntas?
Very good. Now work with a partner. Do you have questions?mwee BYEHN. ah-OH-rah trah-BAH-hen kohn oon kohm-pah-NYEH-roh. TYEH-nehn preh-GOON-tahsNo, gracias. Vamos a trabajar en parejas.
No, thank you. We are going to work in pairs.noh, GRAH-syahs. BAH-mohs ah trah-bah-HAR en pah-REH-hahsA little context goes a long way
Ustedes is the standard plural 'you' across Latin America, so these commands sound natural in Mexico, Colombia, Argentina and most other Spanish-speaking countries. In Spain, ustedes is formal and vosotros is used with peers or children. Using ustedes in Spain is never wrong, but it can sound distant in a casual class. When in doubt, follow the local school norm. Also, 'compañero' can mean 'classmate' or 'partner'; in pair work, it usually means the person next to you.
One thing to watch for
Using the tú command for a whole class, as in 'Repite después de mí' when you mean everyone.
Try this instead: For a group, use the ustedes command: 'Repitan después de mí.' The tú form 'Repite' addresses one person. If you are in Spain and speak informally to a group, use the vosotros command 'Repetid después de mí.' All three are correct for their respective addressees.
Your turn
Try answering out loud before checking a possible answer.
1How would you tell a whole class to repeat after you using an ustedes command?
Show a sample answer
Repitan después de mí.
This is the ustedes command of repetir. In Spain, with an informal group, 'Repetid después de mí' is also correct. The tú form 'Repite' would address only one student.
2You want to set pair work. What sentence can you use?
Show a sample answer
Trabajen con un compañero.
This uses the ustedes command of trabajar. You could also say 'Trabajen en parejas' or, in Spain informally, 'Trabajad con un compañero.' All are valid; choose the one that matches your region and register.
3A student finishes a task well and you want to encourage the class to continue. What phrase fits?
Show a sample answer
¡Muy bien, sigan así!
This praises and encourages continued effort. '¡Buen trabajo!' also works for a finished task, and '¡Sigan así!' alone is fine. For one student, use '¡Muy bien, sigue así!'.
Use ustedes commands for whole-class instructions in Latin America and formal contexts in Spain. Keep 'por favor' handy to soften commands, and switch to vosotros commands only if your local setting uses them informally.
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