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Italian imperative tense

The imperative (imperativo) is a simple tense and has only one form: the present. It is used to give orders, indications, instructions or advice.

Examples:
  • Per favore, invia questa lettera al direttore. (Please, forward this letter to the director)
  • Prenda la prima strada a sinistra e poi prosegua fino al semaforo. (Take the first street on the left and then continue to the traffic light)
  • Venite qui! Devo parlarvi. (Come here! I have to talk to you)
  • Andiamo o perdiamo il treno! (Let's go or we'll miss the train!)
  • Smetti di fumare! Fa male alla salute. (Stop smoking! It's bad for your health)

As imperative is used to give orders or instructions, we never use it at the fisrt person singular. For the second person singular (tu) and the first and second person plural (noi - voi) the imperative has the same form of the present tense, except for the verbs that belong to the first conjugation (-ARE). For these verbs the second person singular (tu) end with –A instead of -I.

Here is the imperative of the auxiliary verbs essere and avere.


For the third person singular (Lei) imperativo has the same form of another tense called “congiuntivo”. The same happens for the third person plural (loro), even if it is not common to use the imperative for “loro”.

Let's see now the imperative of regular verbs.


The negative form of the imperative is formed by putting the negative “non” before the imperative. For the second person singular (tu) we use the infinitive form preceded by the negative “non”.
  • Non parlare ad alta voce. (Don't speak out loud!)
  • Non cantare (Don't sing)
  • Non leggete questo libro! (Don't read this book)

For some verbs the imperative is a little bit different.
ANDARE: va' / vai, vada, andiamo, andate, vadano
DARE: da' / dai, dia, diamo, date, diano
DIRE: di', dica, diciamo, dite, dicano
FARE: fa' / fai, faccia, facciamo, fate, facciano
SAPERE: sappi, sappia, sappiamo, sappiate, sappiano
STARE: sta' / stai, stia, stiamo, state, stiano

Examples:
  • Sta' zitto! (Be silent!)
  • Andate subito in camera vostra! (Go to your room right now!)
  • Per favore, dica al direttore che l'aspetto nel mio ufficio. (Please, tell the director that I will wait for him in my office)
  • Faccia come vuole! (Do as you wish!)

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