What is the imperative?
What is the imperative?
The imperative is used for giving orders or instructing people to do things. In English, the imperative works by using the infinitive form of the verb: Go home! Open your books! Close the window! Whether you are addressing only one person or several, it does not change.
Four different forms in German
The imperative in German is a bit more complicated. There are different forms depending on whether you are addressing one person only or more than one. German also distinguishes between the formal and informal mode of address in the imperative.
Four Forms Visualizer
Compare the different imperative forms side by side:
| kommen (to come) | Komm! | Kommen Sie! | Kommt! | Kommen Sie! |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| warten (to wait) | Warte. | Warten Sie. | Wartet. | Warten Sie. |
| sprechen (to speak) | Sprich! | Sprechen Sie! | Sprecht! | Sprechen Sie! |
Formation Rules
- Addressing one person informally (du form)
Use the stem of the verb without an ending:
- kommen → komm | Komm her! (Come here!)
- trinken → trink | Trink weniger. (Drink less.)
- Verbs ending in d, t, consonant + m/n add -e: warten → warte, atmen → atme
- Verbs with stem vowel change (e→i, e→ie) keep it: sprechen → sprich, lesen → lies
- But a→ä verbs don't change: fahren → fahr, tragen → trag
- Addressing one person formally (Sie form)
Use the present-tense Sie form with pronoun Sie after the verb:
- kommen → Kommen Sie, bitte. (Please come.)
- warten → Warten Sie! (Wait!)
- Addressing multiple people informally (ihr form)
Add -t to the stem (like ihr present tense):
- kommen → Kommt, bitte!
- warten → Wartet! (add -et for stems ending in d/t/m/n)
- Separable Verbs
The prefix splits off and moves to the end of the clause:
Haben and Sein
These behave like regular verbs:
- haben → Hab Geduld. (Be patient.)
- sein → Sei vorsichtig. (Be careful.)
Formation Simulator
Enter any German infinitive to see all imperative forms:
Command Context Selector
Select a scenario to see which form is appropriate: