What is the Imperative in German?
The imperative mood is used to give commands, instructions, or requests.
In German, the imperative is formed differently depending on whether you are speaking informally (to one or more people) or formally.
Imperative Forms for Regular Verbs
1. Informal Singular (du)
Use the stem of the verb without the ending:
Lern! (Learn!)
Komm! (Come!)
2. Informal Plural (ihr)
Use the ihr form of the verb, without the subject:
Lernt! (Learn!)
Kommt! (Come!)
3. Formal (Sie)
Use the Sie form of the verb, followed by Sie:
Lernen Sie! (Learn!)
Kommen Sie! (Come!)
4. Let's (wir)
Use the wir form of the verb to suggest doing something together:
Lernen wir! (Let's learn!)
Kommen wir! (Let's come!)
Examples of Commands in German
- Iss! (Eat!) - Informal singular
- Esst! (Eat!) - Informal plural
- Essen Sie! (Eat!) - Formal
- Gehen wir! (Let's go!) - Suggestion
Imperative for Irregular Verbs
Some irregular verbs have vowel changes in the du form of the imperative:
- Gib! (Give!) - from *geben*
- Sieh! (See!) - from *sehen*
- Nimm! (Take!) - from *nehmen*
Common Phrases Using the Imperative
Hör zu! (Listen!)
Mach schnell! (Hurry up!)
Sei ruhig! (Be quiet!)
Geh weg! (Go away!)
How to Ask Politely Using the Imperative
You can make commands polite by adding bitte (please):
- Warten Sie bitte! (Please wait!)
- Hör bitte zu! (Please listen!)