Imperative Mood in Czech

In Brief

Czech has three main imperative forms: an informal singular command such as piš (“write”), a first-person plural form such as pišme (“let’s write”), and a plural or formal form such as pište (“write”). Add ne- for a negative command (nepiš) and prosím to make a direct request more courteous.

Overview

The imperative mood is the verb form used to tell, ask, invite, or encourage someone to do something. Czech uses it for firm orders, everyday instructions, friendly suggestions, recipes, directions, and polite requests. It is introduced around B1 because forming it requires more than simply removing the infinitive ending: you often need to know the verb’s present-tense stem, and some verbs change sounds.

English normally uses the same bare form whether speaking to one person or several: “Wait!” Czech marks the audience. Čekej! addresses one person informally, while Čekejte! addresses several people or one person formally. Czech also has a first-person plural form, Čekejme!, which means “Let’s wait.” As elsewhere in Czech, the subject pronoun is usually left out because the verb form already identifies who is included.

An imperative is not necessarily rude. Tone, situation, verb choice, and words such as prosím (“please”) all matter. Still, Czech speakers often replace a bare imperative with a question or conditional request when they want to sound especially tactful.

How It Works

The three core forms

Czech imperatives directly distinguish three persons. There is no ordinary first-person singular imperative: you cannot command yourself with a special form equivalent to “let me.”

Person addressed or included	Typical ending	Example with psát	Meaning
2nd person singular, informal (ty)	often no added ending or -i	piš!	write!
1st person plural (my)	-me	pišme!	let’s write!
2nd person plural or formal (vy)	-te	pište!	write!

The capitalized labels ty, my, and vy are shown only to identify the person. In a normal command, say Piš! rather than Ty piš! Pronouns are added mainly for contrast or emphasis: Ty počkej tady a vy pojďte se mnou means “You wait here, and you all come with me.”

Finding the imperative stem

The stem is the stable part of a verb to which endings are attached. A useful practical method is to start from a present-tense form—often the third-person plural—and remove its ending. This reveals sound changes that the infinitive can hide:

• psát → píšou → piš!
• dělat → dělají → dělej!
• kupovat → kupují → kupuj!
• prosit → prosí → pros!

This is a guide, not a completely mechanical formula. Czech avoids some awkward consonant groups by adding -i, and vowels or consonants may change in related forms. For that reason, learn a new verb together with its informal singular imperative.

Common formation patterns

Pattern	Infinitive	Informal singular	“Let’s …”	Plural/formal
Stem ends in one usable consonant	psát	piš	pišme	pište
Stem ends in one usable consonant	mluvit	mluv	mluvme	mluvte
Stem ends in -j	dělat	dělej	dělejme	dělejte
Stem ends in -j	pracovat	pracuj	pracujme	pracujte
Singular uses -i and the plural stem changes	začít	začni	začněme	začněte
Singular uses -i and the plural stem changes	říct	řekni	řekněme	řekněte
Common irregular pattern	zavřít	zavři	zavřeme	zavřete

The last three rows show why simply adding -me or -te to every singular form does not always work. Do not produce forms such as začnime or řeknite. If a verb has an imperative in -i, check and learn all three forms.

Important irregular and high-frequency forms

Infinitive	Informal singular	First-person plural	Plural/formal	English
být	buď	buďme	buďte	be
jít	jdi	jděme	jděte	go
přijít	přijď	přijďme	přijďte	come
dát	dej	dejme	dejte	give
mít	měj	mějme	mějte	have
vzít	vezmi	vezměme	vezměte	take
říct	řekni	řekněme	řekněte	say, tell
jíst	jez	jezme	jezte	eat
spát	spi	spěme	spěte	sleep
stát	stůj	stůjme	stůjte	stand, stop

Two especially useful motion commands are pojď! and pojďte! (“come along”). Learn them alongside jít (“go”). The first-person plural pojďme! is the standard, natural equivalent of “Let’s go!”

Negative imperatives

Put the prefix ne- directly on the imperative verb:

• piš → nepiš (“don’t write”)
• mluvte → nemluvte (“don’t speak”)
• buď → nebuď (“don’t be”)
• zapomeň → nezapomeň (“don’t forget”)

The prefix is not a separate word. Reflexive particles and object pronouns remain separate: Neboj se (“Don’t be afraid”), Neříkej mi to (“Don’t tell me that”).

Commands with reflexive verbs and short pronouns

A reflexive verb uses se or si, small words that are part of expressions such as posadit se (“sit down”) and vzít si (“take for oneself”). Keep the particle with the imperative:

• Posaď se. — Sit down. (informal singular)
• Posaďte se. — Sit down. (plural or formal)
• Vezmi si deštník. — Take an umbrella.
• Nebojte se. — Don’t be afraid.

Short object pronouns also normally follow a command placed at the beginning of its clause: Řekni mi to (“Tell me that”), Dejte mu čas (“Give him time”). Czech word order can change when another element is emphasized, but these patterns are reliable for everyday use.

Making a command polite

Prosím can stand before or after the request. In writing, it is commonly separated as a parenthetical word with a comma:

• Prosím, mluv pomaleji. — Please speak more slowly.
• Posaďte se, prosím. — Please sit down.
• Počkejte prosím tady. — Please wait here.

The last spelling, without commas, is also seen when prosím is closely integrated into the request. Punctuation does not change the person of the imperative.

For greater distance or tact, Czech often uses a question instead:

• Můžete chvíli počkat? — Can you wait a moment?
• Mohl byste mi pomoct? — Could you help me? (formal, to a man)
• Mohla byste mi pomoct? — Could you help me? (formal, to a woman)

These are not imperative forms, but they are often a better social choice than a direct command.

Examples in Context

Czech	English	Note
Piš čitelně.	Write clearly.	Informal singular
Prosím, mluv pomaleji.	Please speak more slowly.	Polite request to one familiar person
Počkej na mě před nádražím.	Wait for me in front of the station.	-j pattern
Otevřete si učebnici na straně dvacet.	Open your textbook to page twenty.	Plural or formal classroom instruction
Posaďte se, prosím.	Please sit down.	Formal or plural, reflexive verb
Pojďme!	Let’s go!	Very common first-person plural form
Buďme trpěliví.	Let’s be patient.	Irregular být
Nezapomeň mi zavolat.	Don’t forget to call me.	Negative perfective imperative
Nedělej si starosti.	Don’t worry.	Literally “Don’t make worries for yourself”
Vezmi si deštník, prší.	Take an umbrella; it’s raining.	Irregular imperative plus si
Řekněte mi své jméno.	Tell me your name.	Formal or plural
Nechte dveře otevřené.	Leave the door open.	Plural or formal instruction
Čtěte text nahlas.	Read the text aloud.	Instruction to a group or formal addressee
Ať Petr přijde v osm.	Let Petr come at eight.	Third-person command with ať

Common Mistakes

Using the infinitive as an ordinary spoken command

• Wrong: Psát! (when telling a friend to write)
• Right: Piš!
• Why: Unlike English, Czech normally requires a distinct imperative form. Infinitives do occur on signs and in impersonal instructions, but they do not replace the everyday personal imperative.

Using a singular form with formal vy

• Wrong: Posaď se, prosím, pane Nováku.
• Right: Posaďte se, prosím, pane Nováku.
• Why: Formal singular vy uses the same -te imperative as plural vy. Formal address changes the verb form, while the reflexive particle remains se.

Building every imperative directly from the infinitive

• Wrong: Psaj! or řícti!
• Right: Piš!; Řekni!
• Why: The present stem and sound changes matter. Learn psát—píšu—piš and říct—řeknu—řekni as linked forms.

Keeping -i- in every plural form

• Wrong: Řeknite mi to.
• Right: Řekněte mi to.
• Why: Some -i singular imperatives use a changed plural/formal stem: řekni—řekněme—řekněte. These forms need to be learned together.

Detaching the negative prefix

• Wrong: Ne piš mi.
• Right: Nepiš mi.
• Why: Czech ne- is attached to the verb. Short pronouns remain separate.

Translating every English “let” with pojďme

• Wrong: Pojďme Petr přijde. for “Let Petr come.”
• Right: Ať Petr přijde.
• Why: Pojďme means “let’s go/come along” and includes the speaker. A command or wish concerning a third person normally uses ať plus a present-tense verb.

Usage Notes

Directness and register

A bare imperative can sound warm, neutral, urgent, or harsh depending on context. Pojď dál! (“Come in!”) is a normal welcome, and Dej si kávu (“Have some coffee”) can be hospitable. By contrast, a bare Dejte mi… to a stranger may sound abrupt. Add prosím, give a reason, or choose Můžete…? or Mohl/a byste…? when you are asking for a favor.

The -te form does two jobs: it addresses multiple people and it addresses one person formally. Context tells you which meaning is intended. Written Czech may capitalize formal pronouns (Vy, Vám, Váš) in correspondence as a mark of respect, but the imperative ending itself is unchanged.

Aspect changes the kind of instruction

Czech verbal aspect distinguishes an activity viewed as ongoing or repeated (imperfective) from one viewed as a bounded, completed event (perfective). Both aspects can form imperatives:

• Piš mi každý týden. — Write to me every week. (repeated activity)
• Napiš mi zítra. — Write to me tomorrow. (one completed message)
• Čti pomalu. — Read slowly. (focus on the process)
• Přečti si ten článek. — Read that article through. (complete it)

Negative commands often use the imperfective, especially for a general prohibition or an action to avoid or stop: Nekuřte tady (“Don’t smoke here”), Nechoď tam (“Don’t go there”). Perfective negatives are nevertheless common when warning against one unwanted result: Nezapomeň (“Don’t forget”), Neztrať klíče (“Don’t lose the keys”). Aspect expresses the speaker’s view of the action, so “negative means imperfective” is a tendency, not an absolute rule.

Word order and tone

Commands frequently begin with the verb, but this is not compulsory. Moving another word forward can mark contrast: Tady počkej (“Wait here,” with emphasis on “here”); To mi neříkej (“Don’t tell me that”). Subject pronouns are emphatic: Ty zůstaň tady means “You stay here,” often contrasting that person with someone else.

Beyond the Basics / Advanced Use

Third-person instructions with ať

Czech uses ať plus an ordinary present-tense form when the command concerns someone other than ty, my, or vy:

• Ať přijde dovnitř. — Let him/her come inside.
• Ať děti počkají venku. — Let the children wait outside.
• Ať se vám daří! — May things go well for you!

Depending on context, ať can express an instruction, permission, acceptance, or wish. The more formal or literary nechť works similarly: Nechť rozhodne soud (“Let the court decide”). It is uncommon in casual conversation.

Infinitives on signs and in instructions

Public rules, labels, recipes, and terse written directions may use the infinitive (the dictionary form of a verb) rather than addressing a specific person:

• Nevstupovat! — No entry! / Do not enter!
• Nekouřit! — No smoking!
• Uchovávat v chladu. — Keep refrigerated.

This style is impersonal and compact. It can sound authoritarian if used as a personal spoken command, so use Nevstupujte, Nekuřte, or another personal form when directly addressing someone.

Fixed and idiomatic imperatives

Some imperative expressions function almost like set phrases:

• Podívej se / Podívejte se — look; listen; consider this
• Poslyš / Poslyšte — listen
• Měj se / Mějte se — take care; goodbye
• Dejme tomu, že… — suppose that…
• Řekněme, že… — let’s say that…
• Vítejte! — welcome!

Their natural English equivalents may not look like commands. Learn them as whole expressions rather than translating each word.

Practice Tips

1. Learn three forms as a mini-paradigm. For each useful verb, record the infinitive and the three imperatives: dělat—dělej—dělejme—dělejte. Give extra attention to sets such as říct—řekni—řekněme—řekněte.
2. Transform everyday instructions. Take one sentence such as Čekáš tady (“You wait here”) and produce Čekej tady, Čekejte tady, and Nečekej tady. Then add prosím and notice how the tone changes.
3. Practice aspect in pairs. Contrast one repeated or ongoing instruction with one bounded result: Piš mi často versus Napiš mi večer. This prevents you from treating perfective and imperfective imperatives as interchangeable vocabulary.

Related Concepts

• Prerequisite: A-Class Conjugation — present-tense stems and familiar conjugation patterns help you recognize how Czech imperative forms are built.