mandar
verbCEFR B1
What does “mandar” mean in English?
to order, to command
to order, to command (mandar que + subjunctive — different-subject volition trigger)
Example sentences
La supervisora mandó que todos los informes estuvieran listos antes del mediodía del viernes.
The supervisor ordered that all reports be ready before noon on Friday.
El árbitro mandó parar el partido porque el terreno de juego estaba en malas condiciones.
The referee ordered the game to be stopped because the pitch was in poor condition.
Te mando que vengas ahora mismo; no hay tiempo que perder si queremos llegar a la reunión.
I'm ordering you to come right now; there's no time to waste if we want to make the meeting.
How to use it
Mandar means 'to order' or 'to command'. When the subject of mandar and the subject of the dependent clause are different people, the construction is mandar que + subjunctive: 'El médico manda que el paciente guarde reposo' (doctor ≠ patient). If the same subject performs both actions, use mandar + infinitive: 'Mandó llamar al mecánico' (he ordered the call, he is also the one ordering). In Latin American Spanish, mandar also means 'to send' (mandar un mensaje), which can confuse learners familiar with European Spanish enviar.
Common mistake
Do not use the infinitive when the subjects differ: *'El médico mandó el paciente guardar reposo' is ungrammatical. The que + subjunctive frame is obligatory when different people are involved. Also note: in Latin American Spanish mandar un mensaje means 'to send a message' — do not confuse this with the order sense.