The imperative verb forms are used to give orders or advice, to urge strongly, and to exhort. It is a simple tense—in the sense that it isn't compound—and has only one form, the present. Furthermore, you can address your command only to an informal form of "you": tu or voi, depending on whether you are talking to one or more people.
/ @, W. s4 |7 l# | When conjugating a first-conjugation Italian verb, the familiar singular (tu) command is the same as the third-person singular (Lei) form of the present indicative, and the plural voi command is the same as the voi form of the present indicative (see the table below).
( [' v8 o5 s- d, d* q FIRST-CONJUGATION VERB IMPERATIVES
2 |" g( U4 e- @) ^/ T INFINITIVE% P# I) Y4 |9 H8 H1 F+ j
TU
8 {2 u/ Y) z: {* l9 Q! h2 F# k VOI7 T/ g' E6 U# L% ] W
cantare0 |# i( q, r- K. O/ v; f% t$ s
Canta!
\. H+ h2 u$ }1 e/ Y Cantate!9 S# N5 D2 j, F4 r* y- w2 L. C
mangiare, D* D8 i3 y2 k! q
Mangia!
4 x' Q2 p! X9 ]( W! k8 Q3 F Mangiate!
% W7 Z) l* e& ^ i parlare
) v3 G- g+ q9 k2 W b# H Parla!
( c% t$ V5 \, h% k+ c0 W Parlate!% P) R( [+ ~3 M4 g/ g1 Z: |
The familiar commands for regular -ere and -ire verbs are the same as the tu and voi forms of the present indicative (see the table below).
: }# g- m8 s2 M9 h6 x SECOND- AND THIRD-CONJUGATION+ I3 T6 G ]2 p. j
VERB IMPERATIVES
# |8 D; y Q9 s& ` INFINITIVE" m) l% M5 i2 [/ ^/ H k8 s
TU+ b; H$ v' V# a6 a9 \, t% ~$ q
VOI1 b5 _' x6 u# l: z4 Y1 {4 u
dormire7 [' V9 ]& a/ K4 Y9 R# R
Dormi!0 j6 j6 Q& t0 o, ?
Dormite!& T3 c$ K+ p; {/ _; X5 l
finire
& O# Q9 D/ {+ U, m5 q5 y' Y5 C Finisci!
2 N+ f: O" r, r% j Finite!
, @- `3 t( c6 p% C) M2 r. L pulire; M2 X& }- z* ?0 u# K# z$ E' O6 E
Pulisci!
+ H0 `/ @- i1 g( A2 W+ J- g R5 u3 Z! k, A Pulite!' t: [) S3 Y" U
salire
0 o9 V" z* D' Y6 m% Z: ^0 i Sali!
" p5 J+ D6 ^+ f$ W Salite!
2 z" E( D8 a" W scrivere% ~- l l: w6 C/ [, W
Scrivi!( X7 n6 W+ _0 z6 [6 J9 N+ u
Scrivete!( ?% x' }% `$ s0 _7 Y# g
vendere# p# s& B2 [0 }
Vendi!5 i: N- w4 D, O/ F
Vendete!
6 {8 @% `9 q3 Z# z9 M, C7 a) o Although the imperative conjugation has a form you're already familiar with, there are some Italian verbs that have irregular forms for the familiar commands in the tu and voi forms (see the table below).& `% P* p7 I ]( C6 ]6 F0 ^. T
SECOND- AND THIRD-CONJUGATION
# V# J, {3 T9 ~, T VERB IMPERATIVES
( U' ]7 s/ u" v4 H" I4 Y INFINITIVE
! L- G. m! g+ ?4 J TU/ C, T. h/ ]0 v! Q l. c$ J9 |1 ~; i
VOI+ b3 {+ n) v% |' [) Y- O8 J" T
andare (to walk)9 C( l0 L1 U8 l( q( B& b3 Q* x
Va'!
' a, C6 [. [" V# K ] Andate!
" f- C. y- p4 i' z0 v3 [ avere (to have)$ Y. Y1 ~0 L' F- P1 \% Y; A, I
Abbi!
" X1 T- _% K J# K! L/ {2 ]' Y Abbiate!
( j: V6 C) y5 f" |. W dare (to give)3 K6 w; i: ~* r+ K
Da'!
+ u0 @9 [/ @0 L W" t Date!
" X$ A( W$ i* Z. B2 C8 _ dire (to say, to tell)7 c; g+ {4 S8 R+ [# a% D
Di'!8 Y% D0 h5 ~% F- j3 Q
Dite!/ ?7 Y$ G0 x4 U. M# s
essere (to be)
$ x1 b9 K& C1 p$ y. D Sii!' j N, B/ f' `0 _" k
Siate!
" i) I. _ m8 b) B) o+ A fare (to make)
! U7 O4 u5 [6 x; c( r Fa'!, p* j% @3 f R B
Fate!
' V. b5 Y/ G( V: p2 G sapere (to know)6 y: V& k8 U/ G# }8 ^: g
Sappi!
$ N* w* w8 g1 a2 Y1 z" N1 z8 r% T q) g Sappiate!
' r, D, j- p+ D stare (to stay)
5 x$ \. t3 t0 \0 f" ^ Sta'!
2 K+ x: D' g9 G" N" H0 _6 [ State! |