Brottin

ROADMAP · A1 · Basic communication in daily life

Imperativ

A1Imperative
Komm bitte, setz dich und nehmen Sie Platz.

Come please, sit down, and please take a seat.

EXPLANATION

The Imperativ is the German form for telling someone to do something. The exact form depends on whether you address one person informally (du), several people informally (ihr), or one person formally (Sie).

The Imperativ is used for commands, requests, instructions, and friendly suggestions. In German there are three main forms: du without a pronoun, ihr like the present tense, and Sie with the verb first. With du, many verbs use the bare stem, but some strong verbs with e → i keep the changed vowel: nimm, gib, lies. Verbs with a → ä do not change in the Imperativ: fahr. The verb sein is special: sei, seid, seien Sie. Separable verbs keep their prefix at the end: Steh auf! Ruf mich an! Words like bitte, mal, and doch make the command softer.

STRUCTURE

Verb stem + ! (for du, no pronoun)

This is the basic command form for one person you know well.

  • Komm bitte morgen.Come tomorrow, please.
  • Mach die Tür zu.Close the door.
  • Warte kurz, bitte.Wait a moment, please.
Present tense, ihr form + !

Use this for several people you know well.

  • Kommt bitte rein.Come in, please.
  • Nehmt eure Bücher.Take your books.
  • Helft mir kurz.Help me for a moment.
Verb first + Sie

This is the polite command form for one adult or several people.

  • Kommen Sie bitte mit.Please come with me.
  • Nehmen Sie Platz.Please take a seat.
  • Warten Sie einen Moment.Please wait a moment.

OVERVIEW

Imperativ forms at a glance

PersonFormExampleNote
duKomm! / Nimm! / Fahr!Komm bitte!The du imperative usually has no pronoun; with some strong verbs that change e → i, the changed vowel is kept: nimm, gib, lies.
ihrKommt! / Nehmt!Kommt bitte!Same as the present-tense form, but without the pronoun.
SieKommen Sie! / Nehmen Sie Platz!Kommen Sie bitte!The verb comes first, then Sie.
seinSei! / Seid! / Seien Sie!Sei ruhig!These are special irregular forms.

COMMON MISTAKES

  • Du komm bitte!

    Komm bitte!

    With du, the Imperativ normally has no pronoun. Du komm! is not the standard command form.

  • Komm schnell, Kinder!

    Kommt schnell, Kinder!

    For ihr, use the ihr form of the verb. Here you are talking to several Kinder (plural), so you need Kommt, not the singular Komm.

  • Sie kommen bitte herein!

    Kommen Sie bitte herein!

    With Sie, the verb comes first, then Sie. Sie kommen bitte herein! is normal statement word order, not an Imperativ.

  • Lese das Buch!

    Lies das Buch!

    Some strong verbs change e → i in the du Imperativ, and lesen does not use du liest; it becomes lies.

USAGE NOTES

  • The du Imperativ often has no ending, but many learners forget that sein is irregular: sei.
  • For polite requests, bitte often comes at the beginning or end: Bitte kommen Sie herein! / Kommen Sie bitte herein!
  • With separable verbs, do not separate the prefix in the wrong place: Ruf mich an! not Ruf an mich!
  • mal and doch make the command softer or more conversational, but they do not change the grammar of the Imperativ.

RELATED

Präsens — regelmäßige VerbenPresent tense regular verbsA1Präsens — Verben mit VokalwechselVowel-changing present tenseA1Trennbare VerbenSeparable verbsA1Höfliche Bitten: möchte, hätte gern, würde, könntePolite requestsA2
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