The Imperative in Italian
L'imperativo
Test yourself with a quick quizThe imperative gives orders, instructions, advice and invitations. Its biggest surprise is the negative tu form, which is non + infinitive, as in "Non parlare!".
Regular Forms
The tu form of -are verbs ends in -a; the other groups use the present tense tu form. Noi and voi are the same as the present. The formal Lei form is borrowed from the present subjunctive.
| Person | parlare | prendere | dormire | finire |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| tu | parla! | prendi! | dormi! | finisci! |
| Lei | parli! | prenda! | dorma! | finisca! |
| noi | parliamo! | prendiamo! | dormiamo! | finiamo! |
| voi | parlate! | prendete! | dormite! | finite! |
Negative Commands
For tu, put non before the infinitive. For every other person, put non before the normal imperative form.
| Person | Affirmative | Negative |
|---|---|---|
| tu | Mangia! | Non mangiare! |
| Lei | Mangi! | Non mangi! |
| noi | Mangiamo! | Non mangiamo! |
| voi | Mangiate! | Non mangiate! |
Irregular Forms
Five verbs have a short tu form with an apostrophe. For andare, dare, fare and stare the longer form (vai, dai, fai, stai) is just as common. Essere and avere have their own forms.
| Infinitive | tu | Lei | voi |
|---|---|---|---|
| andare | va' / vai | vada | andate |
| dare | da' / dai | dia | date |
| fare | fa' / fai | faccia | fate |
| stare | sta' / stai | stia | state |
| dire | di' | dica | dite |
| essere | sii | sia | siate |
| avere | abbi | abbia | abbiate |
| venire | vieni | venga | venite |
Test yourself
5 quick questions on this lesson. How many can you get right?
Choose the right answer.
Adding Pronouns
With tu, noi and voi, pronouns join the end of the verb. With the short forms the first consonant of the pronoun doubles, except with gli. With Lei, pronouns always go before the verb.
| Parts | Result | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| scrivi + mi | scrivimi | write to me |
| mangiamo + lo | mangiamolo | let's eat it |
| di' + mi | dimmi | tell me |
| fa' + lo | fallo | do it |
| da' + mi | dammi | give me |
| va' + ci | vacci | go there |
| di' + gli | digli | tell him |
| mi + dica (Lei) | mi dica | tell me |
In a negative tu command the pronoun can go at either end: both forms are correct.
When to Use It
Use it for directions, recipes, invitations and advice. In written instructions and signs, Italian often uses the plain infinitive instead.
Common Mistakes
- Using the tu form in the negative: "Non parlare!", not "Non parla!".
- Giving -are verbs an -i in the tu form: "Parla!", not "Parli!" (parli is the Lei form).
- Attaching pronouns to the Lei form: "Mi dica", not "Dicami".
- Forgetting the double consonant: "dimmi" and "fallo", not "dimi" and "falo".
- Using sei for be: "Sii gentile!", not "Sei gentile!".