Using The Imperative In Italian – Part 1. Posted by Geoff on Jan 2, 2018 in Grammar
L’imperativo (the imperative) is used to give orders, to invite, or to urge someone to do something. This article will help you understand how to use it in everyday situations.
The imperative is only used in the presente (present tense) of the second person singular: tu (you, informal) and plural: voi (you, plural).
Let’s find out what all of this means in practical terms.
Ma sta’ a sentire, cosa stai guardando? Listen, what are you looking at? Sta’ a sentire is a common variation on ‘senti’ (listen). Photo by Geoff.
Examples of common regular verbs:
| Infinitives ending in -are | Second person singular: tu (you, informal) | Second person plural: voi (you, plural) |
| guardare = to look ascoltare = to listen scusare = to excuse accomodarsi = to make oneself comfortable entrare = to enter/come in aspettare = to wait |
guarda = look ascolta = listen scusa = excuse me accomodati = make yourself comfortable entra = come in aspetta = wait |
guardate = look ascoltate = listen scusate = excuse me accomodatevi = make yourselves comfortable entrate = come in aspettate = wait |
| Infinitives ending in -ere | Second person singular: tu (you, informal) | Second person plural: voi (you, plural) |
| vedere = to see leggere = to read scrivere = to write chiedere = to ask scendere = to get off/down |
vedi = see leggi = read scrivi = write chiedi = ask scendi = get off/down |
vedete = see leggete = read scrivete = write chiedete = ask scendete = get off/down |
| Infinitives ending in -ire | Second person singular: tu (you, informal) | Second person plural: voi (you, plural) |
| sentire = to listen venire = to come aprire = to open finire = to finish capire = to understand |
senti = listen vieni = come apri = open finisci = finish capisci = understand |
sentite = listen venite = come aprite = open finite = finish capite = understand |
Examples of common irregular verbs:
| Infinitive | Second person singular: tu (you, informal) | Second person plural: voi (you, plural) |
| andare = to go dare = to give dire = to say fare = to make/do stare = to stay/to be |
vai/va’ = go dai/da’ = give di’ = say fai/fa’ = do/make stai/sta’ = stay/be |
andate = go date = give dite = say fate = do/make state = stay/be |
Examples of everyday usage:
guarda che bel tramonto! = look at that beautiful sunset!
ascolta, hai sentito cos’è successo a Giorgia? = listen, have you heard what happened to Giorgia?
scusa, non volevo intromettermi = excuse me, I didn’t mean to intrude
prego, accomodatevi = please make yourselves comfortable
leggi le istruzioni attentamente = read the instructions carefully
scendi dal treno a Parma = get off the train at Parma
senti, cosa fai domani? = listen, what are you doing tomorrow?
apri la porta, per favore = open the door please
ragazzi, finite il compito per domani = kids, finish your homework for tomorrow
va’ a quel paese! = go stuff yourself! (literally ‘go to that village’)
da’ una mano allo zio = help your uncle
fate presto! = hurry up (you plural)
stai zitto! = shut up!
For all other conjugations, excluding the first person which doesn’t have an imperative, we use the congiuntivo esortativo (exhortative subjunctive), which we’ll cover in Part 2.
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Comments:
Jill:
Thank you very useful examples. Jill
Geoff:
@Jill Glad to help Jill. 🙂
Vito P.:
My mother used to admonish me, “Ma va vattene!” which I took to mean “Get out of here (with those crazy ideas).” This was, I suppose, the idiom or local dialect of her village in provincia Casterta. Similar to “va a quel paese” which I’d not heard before. Always something to learn!
Many thanks to you and Geoff for your terrific blog which is always instructive AND entertaining.
Geoff:
@Vito P. Ciao Vito, ‘va a quel paese’ è probabilmente il più diffuso modo di dire ‘get lost’, or ‘get stuffed’. E’, comunque, un eufemismo per (se mi perdoni) va a fare in culo, che di solito si dice vaffanculo! (literally go and do it in your bottom, or go fuck yourself).
Buono a saperlo!
A presto, Geoff 🙂
Wendy:
Perché non si usa l’imperativo con il Lei e Loro (e Noi)? È perché è veramente il congiuntivo esortativo? Grazie come sempre per i blog post fantastici!
Serena:
@Wendy Salve Wendy! Alla mia stessa domanda fatta quando ero bambina, mia madre rispose: “Come fai a comandare e a essere gentile allo stesso tempo?”, cioè: “l’imperativo non può essere gentile per natura”. Così si usa il congiuntivo presente, che in questo caso specifico si chiama “esortativo” perché “invita, spinge” a fare qualcosa.
Saluti da Serena
la Gioia:
Geoff, thank you for this article! in this article, you say, “The imperative is only used in the presente (present tense) of the second person singular: tu (you, informal) and plural: voi (you, plural).”
But doesn’t this miss the third person singular formal and the first person plural?
In the 501 Verb book, it says, “The imperative is … used in Italian and English to express a command or request and is used for all persons except the first person singular.”
The examples they show are:
tu: Parlami! Non mi parlare!
Lei: Entri! Non Entri!
noi: Beviamo! Non beviamo!
voi: Andate! Non andate!
I feel I must be missing something here. Can you straighten me out?
Geoff:
@la Gioia Salve Gioia, e grazie per il tuo commento.
You wrote:
Here’s what you missed, it was written at the end of the blog:
Hopefully. Part 2 will answer your question. Here’s the link: https://blogs.transparent.com/italian/using-the-imperative-in-italian-part-2/
Saluti da Geoff 🙂