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:

• Know thyself
  Take this questionnaire to know yourself better as a learner and leverage your learning.
• Redefining what a lesson is
  It’s time for a full disclaimer. What does learning a language look like in 2025?
• ATR | A Todo Ritmo
  Learn what ATR means and when/how it’s used in Argentina.
• Self-talk
  In this article, we talk about the convenience of self-talk in our Spanish practices.
• Little wonders
  This post will give you some short phrases to react naturally in conversations.
• Expressions with DE
  Let’s dive in into a few everyday expressions with DE, shall we?