Recently, I published a post dealing with bad words, and I included a segment dedicated to the negative imperative.

The negative imperative can help you a great deal when trying to get friends to reassess their stance. In the following phrases I’m going to share with you different combinations of “No seas…”

A word of warning: used in the wrong context, they can be offensive.

No seas garca
Translates roughly to “Don’t let me down.” It’s used to tell someone not to unfairly.

No seas forro
It means “Don’t be a jerk” or “Don’t be an asshole.” It’s one step further than garca.

No seas caradura
It means means “Don’t be shameless” or “Don’t be audacious.” It’s used when someone is behaving in a bold or impudent manner.

No seas cagón
This one can be translated as “Don’t be a coward” or “Don’t be afraid.” It’s used to encourage someone to be brave or not to back down from a challenge or a challenging situation.

No seas pajero
It’s a colloquial way of saying “Don’t be lazy” or “Don’t be a slacker.” It’s used when someone is being unproductive or procrastinating.

No seas careta
“Don’t be fake” or “Don’t be a poser.” It’s used when someone is pretending to be something they’re not or being insincere.

No seas bajonero
This phrase translates to “Don’t be a downer” or “Don’t bring the mood down.” It’s used to encourage someone not to be negative or pessimistic.

No seas pelotudo
This one would be similar to “Don’t be stupid” [No seas tonto], but with a more aggressive intention.

Thanks for stopping by!

Until next time,

You might also want to read these articles:

• The Paradox of Choice
  Today, I want to introduce the concept of paradox of choice, and show you how it’s detrimental to your progress.
• Argentinian Spanish Input (part 1)
  In this post, I included podcasts you can try to leverage your learning with natural input.
• El que te jedi
  Learn a fun way of saying you-know-who in Rioplatense Spanish.
• Infumable
  Have you heard Argentinians using this word before? If not, you should get ready.
• Memory, Ear, Intuition
  This article breaks down how ear, memory and intuition make for a killer combo in language learning.
• Phrasal Verbs in RPS
  Have you been crafting your own list of phrasal verbs in Spanish? This is the ultimate resource to extend it and take your understanding even further.