obedezcan

Obedezcan is a Spanish verb form derived from obedecer. It is most commonly encountered as the third person plural present subjunctive form of obedecer and as the affirmative imperative in the ustedes form.

In the present subjunctive, obedezcan appears in subordinate clauses to express wishes, recommendations, obligations, or possible actions, as in Es necesario que obedezcan las normas. It can also function as a direct command in the ustedes form, for example Obedezcan las reglas, in contexts where a group is being addressed formally or respectfully.

Morphology and conjugation: obedecer is an -ecer verb, and in the present subjunctive the stem changes to obedec- with standard subjunctive endings. The form for ustedes and ellos/ellas is obedezcan, built from obedezc- plus -an. Therefore, obedezcan serves both as the plural present subjunctive (subordinate clause) and, in direct address, as the affirmative imperative for ustedes.

Usage notes: Obedezcan is widely used in formal, administrative, or instructional language. It is appropriate in policy statements, official announcements, and situations where quick compliance from a group is requested. It should not be confused with the indicative form obedecen (they obey) or with other mood forms such as obedezcas (tú form) or obedezca (usted/él form).

Etymology: the word comes from obedecer, which derives from Latin oboedire (to obey). Related terms include obediencia (obedience) and obediente (obedient).