The Imperative (Informal & Formal)

📌 Nota grammaticale

To give an informal command to someone using 'tu' with regular -are verbs, use the third-person singular present form (-a) for regular verbs. For example, parlare becomes parla!

📌 Nota grammaticale

For -ere and -ire verbs, the informal 'tu' imperative uses the -i ending. This matches the second-person singular present indicative for -ere verbs, but can differ for -ire verbs that take an -isc- infix.

📌 Nota grammaticale

Verbs like finire, capire, and pulire that insert -isc- in the present indicative keep this extension in the informal imperative tu form, taking the -i ending (finisci, capisci).

📌 Nota grammaticale

When giving commands to someone you address formally as 'Lei', the verb takes the third-person subjunctive ending, which uses -i for -are verbs (parlare -> parli).

📌 Nota grammaticale

For formal 'Lei' commands, -ere and -ire verbs use the -a ending (prendere -> prenda, aprire -> apra, finire -> finisca).

📌 Nota grammaticale

To tell someone informally NOT to do something, use 'non' followed directly by the infinitive of the verb, NOT the conjugated imperative form.

📌 Nota grammaticale

Unlike the informal 'tu', the formal negative imperative for 'Lei' uses 'non' followed by the normally conjugated formal imperative form (non + prenda).

📌 Nota grammaticale

Several common verbs have short, monosyllabic irregular forms in the informal tu imperative, often accompanied by apostrophes or doubled consonants: va' (andare), da' (dare), di' (dire), fa' (fare), sta' (stare).

📌 Nota grammaticale

Both essere and avere have special imperative forms for both tu and Lei. Essere: sii (tu), sia (Lei). Avere: abbi (tu), abbia (Lei).

📌 Nota grammaticale

Formal Lei commands follow the subjunctive present, meaning irregulars like essere (sia), avere (abbia), andare ( vada ), and fare (faccia) use their standard subjunctive counterparts.

📌 Nota grammaticale

Modal verbs (dovere, potere, volere) can technically take imperative forms, but 'dovere' and 'potere' are rarely used. 'Volere' is frequently used in the imperative as 'vogli' (tu) or 'voglia' (Lei) to mean 'have the kindness to'.

📌 Nota grammaticale

With affirmative imperatives (tu and Lei), direct/indirect object pronouns attach directly to the end of the verb to form one single word (e.g., 'compralo'). With short irregulars (va', fa'), the consonant doubles (fallo, vallo).