Imperative forms (du, ihr, Sie commands)

What are German imperative forms?

The imperative is the verb form you use to give commands, instructions, directions, requests, or advice. In German the imperative changes depending on whom you address:
- informal singular: du (one friend/child/pet)
- informal plural: ihr (a group of friends)
- formal (singular or plural): Sie (anyone you address politely)

Examples (all mean "Come!"):
- 'Komm!' (du) — Come! (to one friend)
- 'Kommt!' (ihr) — Come! (to several friends)
- 'Kommen Sie!' (Sie) — Come! (formal)

When do I use the imperative?

Use the imperative when you want to:
- give a direct order: 'Mach die Tür zu.' (Close the door.)
- ask someone to do something: 'Hilf mir, bitte.' (Help me, please.)
- give instructions: 'Zuerst schneidest du die Zwiebel.' (First, cut the onion.)
- give advice: 'Iss mehr Gemüse.' (Eat more vegetables.)
- write signs or short commands: 'Nicht rauchen.' / 'Rauchen verboten.' (No smoking.)

Tone and choice of form:
- Use 'du' with friends, family, children, close colleagues (if you are on informal terms).
- Use 'ihr' when addressing a group informally (friends/family group).
- Use 'Sie' in formal situations (strangers, customers, superiors). Always capitalize 'Sie'.
- To be polite in formal situations prefer 'Bitte' or indirect forms (see section on politeness).

How do I form the imperative for du, ihr and Sie?

The du (informal singular) command

Forming the 'du' command
- Most commonly: take the infinitive and drop the ending -en (or -n). That gives the stem, and the stem is usually the command form.
- machen → mach! ('Mach die Tür zu.' — Close the door.)
- spielen → spiel! ('Spiel das Lied.' — Play the song.)
- gehen → geh! ('Geh nicht so schnell.' — Don't walk so fast.)

- For pronunciation or tradition, many verbs keep an -e: stem + -e. This is common when the stem ends in -t or -d or certain consonant clusters.
- warten → warte! ('Warte hier.' — Wait here.)
- arbeiten → arbeite! ('Arbeite leise.' — Work quietly.)
Note: The -e form ('arbeite') is often more formal or written; dropping the -e ('arbeit') is common in speech only when it still sounds natural: both 'Lern!' and 'Lerne!' are heard.

Irregulars and vowel changes
- Some verbs are irregular. Memorize common short imperatives:
- sein → sei! ('Sei pünktlich.' — Be punctual.)
- haben → hab! ('Hab Geduld.' — Have patience.)
- geben → gib! ('Gib mir das Buch.' — Give me the book.)
- nehmen → nimm! ('Nimm das!' — Take that!)
- essen → iss! ('Iss dein Gemüse.' — Eat your vegetables.)
- lesen → lies! ('Lies den Text.' — Read the text.)
- sprechen → sprich! ('Sprich lauter.' — Speak louder.)
- schlafen → schlaf! ('Schlaf gut.' — Sleep well.)
- fahren → fahr! ('Fahr vorsichtig.' — Drive carefully.)
- laufen → lauf! ('Lauf nicht weg.' — Don't run away.)

Reflexive verbs (du)
- Put the reflexive pronoun after the verb: 'Setz dich!' ('Sit down!'), 'Zieh dich an!' ('Get dressed!').

Separable-prefix verbs (du)
- For separable verbs the prefix goes to the end: 'aufstehen' → 'Steh auf!' ('Stand up!'), 'anrufen' → 'Ruf mich an!' ('Call me!').

The ihr (informal plural) command

Forming the 'ihr' command
- Use the present indicative 'ihr' form and drop the pronoun 'ihr'. The verb keeps its -t ending.
- ihr geht → Geht! ('Geht nach Hause.' — Go home.)
- ihr macht → Macht! ('Macht die Hausaufgaben.' — Do your homework.)
- ihr seid → Seid! ('Seid leise.' — Be quiet.)

Reflexive and separable verbs (ihr)
- Reflexive: 'Setzt euch!' ('Sit down!')
- Separable: 'Steht auf!' ('Stand up!')

The Sie (formal singular & plural) command

Forming the 'Sie' command
- Use the infinitive followed by the pronoun 'Sie' (capitalized). Keep the pronoun; you cannot drop it.
- gehen → Gehen Sie! ('Gehen Sie bitte jetzt.' — Please go now.)
- kommen → Kommen Sie! ('Kommen Sie herein.' — Come in.)
- nehmen → Nehmen Sie! ('Nehmen Sie Platz.' — Please take a seat.)

Reflexive and separable verbs (Sie)
- Reflexive: 'Setzen Sie sich!' ('Please sit down!')
- Separable: 'Stehen Sie bitte auf!' ('Please stand up!') — prefix goes to end just like in normal sentences.

Special cases and important details

Common mistakes and useful tips

- Do not use the personal pronoun with the du- or ihr-imperative (omit 'du' and 'ihr').
- Always include and capitalize 'Sie' in formal commands.
- Learn these irregular short forms: 'sei', 'hab', 'gib', 'nimm', 'iss', 'lies', 'sprich', 'fahr', 'lauf' — they appear frequently.
- Remember separable prefixes go to the end in commands: 'Steh auf! / Steht auf! / Stehen Sie auf!'
- Use 'nicht' to negate verbs and 'kein' to negate nouns.
- If you are unsure which form to use with a stranger, default to the formal 'Sie'.

Short glossary

Imperative — the verb form used for commands and requests.
Infinitive — the base form of the verb (e.g., 'machen', 'gehen').
Stem — the infinitive without the ending -en (or -n), often used to form the imperative.
Separable prefix — a prefix like 'auf-', 'an-' that separates from the verb in main clauses and goes to the end in commands ('Steh auf!').
Reflexive verb — a verb used with a reflexive pronoun (e.g., 'sich setzen' → 'Setz dich!').
du / ihr / Sie — forms of 'you' (informal singular / informal plural / formal singular or plural).

Quick reference: model examples

- du (singular informal): 'Mach!' / 'Komm!' / 'Nimm!' — 'Mach die Tür zu.' (Close the door.)
- ihr (plural informal): 'Macht!' / 'Kommt!' / 'Nehmt!' — 'Kommt bitte pünktlich.' (Please come on time.)
- Sie (formal): 'Machen Sie!' / 'Kommen Sie!' / 'Nehmen Sie!' — 'Machen Sie bitte die Tür zu.' (Please close the door.)

If you want, I can provide a short table or a practice list of the most common irregular imperatives to memorize.