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.$ S9 Q, |& q8 D8 H- }2 d- @
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).! u- D& n1 m% Y, a* ?4 B- ^2 W
FIRST-CONJUGATION VERB IMPERATIVES
, \5 F6 f# ~% F INFINITIVE' k# u: J1 ^3 i, @$ p" B
TU
% B$ \ t- P" W2 s H- J! S VOI1 Z9 O" ]0 N, {/ _* \
cantare
. d8 f7 F8 o' ? Canta!
! p4 p8 I7 w+ l, E Cantate!( K2 ~ Z2 m7 `; s# E- I& U
mangiare
9 R# C& S1 ~6 D! z Mangia!" d j/ n1 r8 b7 e2 y; M" d
Mangiate!4 B- v* N( F3 z9 t, Z6 r
parlare
" ^+ x/ K5 J+ e3 z Parla!
5 A0 A" s' {9 p+ |) x3 o Parlate!2 \$ m( d) P8 o2 ~
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).
+ c5 `& h+ R. S5 h/ |0 Y; V( G SECOND- AND THIRD-CONJUGATION4 \7 ~3 ~2 Z9 C9 u
VERB IMPERATIVES1 \! x( N/ i* S1 q+ p/ f
INFINITIVE3 Q! ?3 f, y% h7 G: d
TU
7 Q& l* }4 ~, ]- G, w$ S VOI
! S- o3 A; E6 {- b5 w: } dormire* |" c% D$ F9 p8 e- _% \& g7 b
Dormi!! G6 I! D4 W- e7 W
Dormite!! E0 y( }( D' \ X" I: R& d
finire
" p- P+ x5 E3 T y! t9 r Finisci!7 ?2 R9 X3 u# P5 |
Finite!
3 J, g: ^5 T) i4 d1 y" l! t7 V pulire
/ H2 ]& ^( p9 J$ v* W6 a+ f! j Pulisci!
) L/ _3 Z( C; {$ d. S Pulite!
+ u" {, M: V) X5 p4 j salire ?, P8 d: `4 T9 k3 g% `
Sali!- E \0 Y: c: H
Salite!0 P6 N0 G/ D. O' N2 b: o- V
scrivere
* s7 i8 F/ B5 {( R5 ?9 P Scrivi!! _& z9 {& v& B' c K# D& L2 z
Scrivete!
* ^4 x, ]$ x9 I& T6 @7 o, A1 Q6 N- u vendere8 m M2 S! F2 O& L# @: }
Vendi!
- n- Z( n& Y) C h6 G l Vendete!
/ J% Y, ?, a/ O; ?% f: j 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).
4 n! O: x" r" m' F( [# O' U SECOND- AND THIRD-CONJUGATION& x4 [* E. ?# R7 q% b) g$ ^0 u
VERB IMPERATIVES @. {, J3 }. ^
INFINITIVE7 A& T+ ` n. Y3 {
TU
b! q/ F% J% z5 s: S) Z6 Q6 Y VOI
& _2 J# E8 g0 @( i andare (to walk)# t V# S: ~" _
Va'!
+ l! j' R* h5 E1 u9 y Andate! y% O! G1 k# Y3 ]' O! U
avere (to have)9 Y7 n1 Y7 U$ i8 W- _( F! _
Abbi!' K* t0 H! E# s+ ~+ X& o
Abbiate!
3 U8 b! K: r9 j/ V3 J- H dare (to give)5 l4 r* W. t/ p- H
Da'!, D J' f4 u- D" {, {) d' C5 N
Date!
; ~3 ]; F1 N+ ^6 C2 u, e dire (to say, to tell)' V( Y# U/ g; T! }: G% j* O8 i
Di'!
" P/ \5 V" q( h: S$ l. u2 W' H9 N Dite!1 d. o0 _. `: I
essere (to be)" z" w' i' Z$ g) c% T4 G
Sii!, B+ P( K! h( L- P/ Q
Siate!
* ~& {% R$ O- Z' [9 y, C fare (to make)
# q3 S# V$ w/ ?7 H+ G, e, b3 a Fa'!1 S6 W+ N1 H* v/ b
Fate!
0 t6 v$ ]8 I' _. V" I$ S# u sapere (to know)7 W+ Z+ L$ ^1 D* X
Sappi!) B6 t- [9 A4 o; R& X
Sappiate!
5 p) y- @+ e# o) w8 J stare (to stay)8 S- \9 Z5 d2 H. {) z$ N
Sta'!
6 j# j8 C4 U+ X: Z9 J State! |