Imperative Mood in Greek

In Brief

Greek chooses between two kinds of command: a perfective form for a single, bounded action (γράψε, “write it”) and an imperfective form for an ongoing or repeated action (γράφε, “keep writing/write regularly”). Positive commands use imperative forms, but negative commands use μην plus a verb form such as μην γράψεις or μην γράφεις.

Overview

The imperative mood (η προστακτική) is the set of verb forms used to tell, ask, invite, or encourage someone to do something. You meet it in instructions, recipes, signs, messages, and ordinary conversation: Έλα! (“Come!”), Περιμένετε εδώ (“Wait here”), and Δοκιμάστε το (“Try it”). Although “command” is the usual label, an imperative can sound like friendly advice or a polite request as well as an order.

At B1, the central challenge is not simply learning an ending. Modern Greek normally makes an aspect choice—an internal view of the action as either bounded or ongoing. This resembles the distinction already seen between the aorist and imperfect, but it is not about past time here. The perfective imperative presents the requested action as one complete event; the imperfective imperative presents it as continuing, repeated, or habitual.

English often leaves this contrast unstated. “Write!” could mean “write this answer now” or “keep writing every day.” Greek frequently makes you choose: γράψε for the first idea, γράφε for the second. The aorist stem is therefore an important prerequisite, even though an imperative itself does not refer to the past.

How It Works

Who can receive a direct imperative?

The ordinary imperative has second-person forms because it addresses the listener directly:

Addressee	Meaning	Typical use
second-person singular	“you”	one person addressed informally
second-person plural	“you”	several people, or one person addressed politely/formally

For “let me…,” “let us…,” or “let him/her…,” Greek normally uses να plus a verb rather than a special first- or third-person imperative: να φύγουμε (“let’s leave”), ας περιμένουμε (“let’s wait”), or να περάσει (“let him/her come in”). The subjunctive here means a verb introduced by a particle such as να or ας, not a separate English-style infinitive.

Perfective and imperfective commands

For many active verbs, the two sets are easy to compare:

Aspect	Singular	Plural/polite	Main idea
imperfective	γράφε	γράφετε	keep writing; write regularly
perfective	γράψε	γράψτε	write once; complete the writing

The imperfective forms are built from the present stem. The perfective forms are built from the same perfective stem used in the aorist and perfective subjunctive. Compare:

Present	Aorist “I…”	Perfective imperative	Imperfective imperative
γράφω	έγραψα	γράψε / γράψτε	γράφε / γράφετε
διαβάζω	διάβασα	διάβασε / διαβάστε	διάβαζε / διαβάζετε
ανοίγω	άνοιξα	άνοιξε / ανοίξτε	άνοιγε / ανοίγετε
μιλάω	μίλησα	μίλησε / μιλήστε	μίλα / μιλάτε
αγαπάω	αγάπησα	αγάπησε / αγαπήστε	αγάπα / αγαπάτε

These patterns are useful, but Greek stem changes are not always predictable from the present alone. Learn a verb as a small family: γράφω – έγραψα – γράψε or βλέπω – είδα – δες. Notice too that the past-tense augment, often ε-, normally disappears from the imperative: έγραψα but γράψε.

Choosing the aspect

Use the perfective imperative when the listener should carry out a bounded task, reach an endpoint, or perform something once:

• Κλείσε την πόρτα. — “Close the door.”
• Διάβασε αυτό το μήνυμα. — “Read this message.”
• Πάρε με όταν φτάσεις. — “Call me when you arrive.”

Use the imperfective imperative when the action should continue, be repeated, become a habit, or be in progress:

• Διάβαζε κάθε μέρα. — “Read every day.”
• Γράφε πιο καθαρά. — “Keep writing more clearly.”
• Μίλα πιο αργά. — “Speak more slowly/keep speaking more slowly.”

The perfective is very common in everyday instructions because many requests concern one immediate result. The imperfective does not merely make a command “longer”; it changes how the speaker frames the action.

Negative commands with μην

Modern Greek does not normally negate a true imperative form. Instead, use μην (often μη before another word in connected speech and writing) plus the second-person dependent verb form:

Meaning	Singular	Plural/polite
do not write it / do not complete it	μην γράψεις	μην γράψετε
do not keep writing / do not write habitually	μην γράφεις	μην γράφετε
do not speak now/once	μη μιλήσεις	μη μιλήσετε
do not keep speaking	μη μιλάς	μη μιλάτε

The aspect contrast remains. Μην το ανοίξεις warns against opening it at all; Μην το ανοίγεις can mean “don’t keep opening it” or “don’t make a habit of opening it.” In English both may simply become “Don’t open it,” so context matters.

Do not use δεν for a direct negative command. Δεν τρέχεις is a statement (“you are not running”), whereas μην τρέχεις! is “don’t run!”

Common irregular imperatives

Some of the most frequent commands are irregular and best memorized as complete forms:

Verb	Singular	Plural/polite	Meaning
έρχομαι	έλα	ελάτε	come
λέω	πες	πείτε	say; tell
βλέπω	δες	δείτε	see; look
δίνω	δώσε	δώστε	give
παίρνω	πάρε	πάρτε	take
πηγαίνω / πάω	πήγαινε	πηγαίνετε	go
τρώω	φάε	φάτε	eat
πίνω	πιες	πιείτε	drink
βρίσκω	βρες	βρείτε	find
βάζω	βάλε	βάλτε	put
βγαίνω	βγες	βγείτε	go out; get out

Some verbs also have less common or context-dependent alternatives, so dictionaries may list more than one imperative. For active production, prioritize the forms you repeatedly hear in modern conversation.

Object pronouns change position

A weak object pronoun is a short form such as μου (“to me”), τον (“him”), or το (“it”). With a positive imperative, it normally follows the verb:

• Πες μου. — “Tell me.”
• Άνοιξέ το. — “Open it.”
• Δώστε μας λίγο χρόνο. — “Give us a little time.”

With a negative command, the pronoun comes before the verb, after μην:

• Μην μου πεις. — “Don’t tell me.”
• Μην το ανοίξεις. — “Don’t open it.”
• Μην τους περιμένετε. — “Don’t wait for them.”

An attached pronoun may cause an extra written accent on the imperative, as in άνοιξέ το. This reflects Greek stress rules; it is not a different tense.

Examples in Context

Greek	English	Note
Γράψε το όνομά σου εδώ.	Write your name here.	One bounded task
Γράφε πέντε προτάσεις κάθε μέρα.	Write five sentences every day.	Repeated habit
Διάβασε αυτό το email και απάντησέ μου.	Read this email and reply to me.	Two completed actions
Διάβαζε δυνατά για να εξασκείς την προφορά σου.	Read aloud to practise your pronunciation.	Ongoing study advice
Έλα εδώ για ένα λεπτό.	Come here for a minute.	Irregular singular form
Ελάτε μέσα, παρακαλώ.	Come in, please.	Plural or polite singular
Πες μου την αλήθεια.	Tell me the truth.	Object pronoun follows
Μην μου πεις το τέλος της ταινίας!	Don’t tell me the end of the film!	Pronoun before negative verb
Μην τρέχεις στον δρόμο.	Don’t run in the street.	Ongoing/general prohibition
Μην ανοίξεις το παράθυρο.	Don’t open the window.	Prevent one action
Πάρτε το λεωφορείο νούμερο πέντε.	Take bus number five.	Polite or plural instruction
Κόψε τα λαχανικά και βάλε τα στο μπολ.	Cut the vegetables and put them in the bowl.	Recipe sequence
Μιλάτε πιο αργά, παρακαλώ.	Speak more slowly, please.	Polite request; imperfective
Πρόσεχε!	Be careful!	Fixed, very common warning
Ας περιμένουμε λίγο.	Let’s wait a little.	First-person suggestion with ας

Common Mistakes

Using the aorist past form as a command

• Wrong: Έγραψα το όνομά σου! (if you mean “Write your name!”)
• Right: Γράψε το όνομά σου!
• Why: έγραψα means “I wrote.” The imperative uses the related perfective stem but not the first-person past ending or augment.

Negating an imperative with δεν

• Wrong: Δεν τρέχεις!
• Right: Μην τρέχεις!
• Why: δεν negates statements. A prohibition or negative request takes μην/μη and a dependent verb form.

Ignoring the aspect contrast

• Less suitable: Γράψε κάθε μέρα.
• Better for a habit: Γράφε κάθε μέρα.
• Why: A daily repeated activity is naturally framed as imperfective. Γράψε is better for one bounded writing task, though real context can sometimes support either viewpoint.

Putting a pronoun before a positive imperative

• Wrong: Μου πες.
• Right: Πες μου.
• Why: Weak object pronouns normally follow a positive imperative. In a negative command, they move before the verb: Μην μου πεις.

Using singular forms when politeness or plurality requires plural

• Wrong in a formal interaction: Περίμενε εδώ.
• Right: Περιμένετε εδώ.
• Why: The plural form addresses several people and also serves as a polite singular. The social setting determines whether singular sounds friendly, familiar, or too abrupt.

Building every imperative mechanically

• Wrong: Έρχε! for “Come!”
• Right: Έλα!
• Why: High-frequency verbs often have irregular forms. Memorize έλα, πες, δες, πάρε, βάλε, and φάε as vocabulary.

Usage Notes

Commands do not have to sound commanding

Tone, relationship, context, and added words matter as much as grammar. A bare singular form can be warm between friends—Έλα, κάθισε (“Come, sit down”)—but may sound abrupt to a stranger. Παρακαλώ (“please”), a polite plural, or a question can soften the request:

• Περιμένετε λίγο, παρακαλώ. — “Please wait a moment.”
• Μπορείτε να περιμένετε λίγο; — “Can you wait a moment?”
• Θα μπορούσατε να με βοηθήσετε; — “Could you help me?”

The last two are not imperatives grammatically, but they are often socially preferable requests.

Signs, recipes, and instructions

Public signs often use a plural/polite form because the message addresses the public: Παρακαλώ, περιμένετε εδώ (“Please wait here”). Recipes frequently use either second-person imperative forms such as κόψτε, προσθέστε, ανακατέψτε or more impersonal wording. A consistent plural style is common in written instructions.

Singular versus plural address

Use singular imperatives with one person you address as εσύ: a friend, relative, child, or someone with whom informal address is established. Use plural imperatives with εσείς: more than one listener or one listener addressed politely. Contemporary practice varies by age, setting, and personal preference, so listen to how the other person addresses you.

μην or μη?

Both spellings occur. Μην is the fuller form; μη commonly appears before consonants and in set expressions. For learners, recognizing both is more important than trying to derive a rigid pronunciation rule. Keep the word directly connected to the negative command: μην φύγεις, μη μιλάς.

Beyond the Basics / Advanced Use

Aspect can express the speaker’s attitude

The perfective/imperfective choice is not always a measurable difference between “once” and “many times.” Speakers choose how to present the action. A perfective command may focus on achieving a result, while an imperfective command may invite the listener into an activity already expected or underway. Compare άνοιξε την πόρτα (“open the door”) with άνοιγε την πόρτα κάθε πρωί (“open the door every morning”). Lexical convention and context matter alongside the general aspect rule.

With negative commands, the contrast can be especially subtle:

• Μην αργήσεις. — “Don’t be late” on this occasion.
• Μην αργείς. — “Don’t keep being late / don’t be habitually late.”
• Μην ανησυχείς. — “Don’t worry,” commonly viewed as an ongoing state.

Third-person wishes and instructions

Greek uses να or ας constructions when English uses “let” or an indirect command:

• Να περάσει ο επόμενος. — “Let the next person come in.”
• Ας αρχίσουμε. — “Let’s begin.”
• Να μην αργήσετε. — “Make sure you aren’t late / Don’t be late.”

These overlap in function with the imperative but have their own grammar. Ας commonly introduces a suggestion or permission, while να can introduce wishes, instructions, and dependent clauses.

Mediopassive and deponent verbs

Verbs with endings such as -μαι may form commands differently from active verbs. A deponent verb has passive-looking forms but an active meaning. Common useful commands include θυμήσου (“remember”), σκέψου (“think”), κάθισε (“sit”), and plural forms such as θυμηθείτε and ετοιμαστείτε (“get ready”). Because stem changes and aspect choices vary, learn these from reliable dictionary entries and real phrases rather than forcing an active-verb template onto them.

Fossilized and highly frequent expressions

Some imperatives function almost like discourse markers or fixed expressions:

• Άκου… — “Listen…”; often introduces an explanation.
• Κοίτα… — “Look…”; can introduce a point rather than a literal request to look.
• Για δες! — “Well, look at that!”
• Να είσαι καλά! — “Be well / thank you”; formally a να wish, not a true imperative.

Recognizing their conversational function prevents overly literal translation.

Practice Tips

1. Learn verbs in aspect pairs. Make cards such as γράφω — έγραψα — γράψε — γράφε. Say one realistic bounded instruction and one habitual instruction for each verb.
2. Transform positive commands into negative ones. Change Άνοιξέ το to Μην το ανοίξεις and notice both the verb form and the movement of το. Then make an imperfective version: Μην το ανοίγεις συνέχεια (“Don’t keep opening it”).
3. Collect real instructions. Use recipes, transport announcements, app interfaces, and signs. Mark each form as singular, plural/polite, perfective, imperfective, or a να/ας construction.

Related Concepts

• Prerequisite: Simple Past (Αόριστος) — its perfective stems help you form commands such as γράψε and μίλησε.
• Related foundation: Subjunctive Mood — needed for negative commands and να constructions.
• Related foundation: Object Pronouns — explains why μου and το change position around positive and negative commands.
• Next step: Dependent Clauses with να — expands from direct commands to requests, wishes, and instructions involving other subjects.