Imperative (Commands) in German

Overview

The imperative is used to give commands, instructions, requests, and suggestions. At the A1 level, you need three forms: one for du (informal singular), one for ihr (informal plural), and one for Sie (formal). Each form is constructed slightly differently, and choosing the right one depends on your relationship with the person you are addressing.

German imperatives are more common than you might think — you encounter them in recipes, instructions, signs, advice, and everyday requests like "Come here!" or "Open the book!" The du-form is the most distinctive because it often drops the verb ending and the pronoun entirely.

Learning the imperative also reinforces your knowledge of verb conjugation, since the forms are derived from the present tense.

How It Works

Formation rules:

Form	How to make it	Example: kommen	Example: machen
du	Verb stem (drop -st ending, drop pronoun)	Komm!	Mach!
ihr	Same as ihr-form, drop pronoun	Kommt!	Macht!
Sie	Same as Sie-form, keep pronoun after verb	Kommen Sie!	Machen Sie!

With stem-changing verbs (e → i/ie):

Verb	du-imperative	Note
sprechen (e→i)	Sprich!	Vowel changes
lesen (e→ie)	Lies!	Vowel changes
nehmen (e→i)	Nimm!	Vowel changes

With stem-changing verbs (a → ä): NO change in imperative:

Verb	du-imperative	Note
fahren (a→ä)	Fahr!	NO umlaut
schlafen (a→ä)	Schlaf!	NO umlaut

Separable verbs: prefix goes to the end:

Verb	du	ihr	Sie
aufmachen	Mach auf!	Macht auf!	Machen Sie auf!
mitkommen	Komm mit!	Kommt mit!	Kommen Sie mit!

Key points:

• The du-form can optionally add -e (Komm! or Komme! — both correct, but without -e is more common)
• Verbs with stems ending in -t, -d, or consonant clusters usually keep the -e: Arbeite!, Öffne!
• sein has irregular imperatives: Sei ruhig! (du), Seid ruhig! (ihr), Seien Sie ruhig! (Sie)
• An exclamation mark is standard but not mandatory

Examples in Context

German	English	Note
Komm her!	Come here!	du-form
Öffnen Sie das Buch!	Open the book!	Sie-form
Macht die Tür zu!	Close the door!	ihr-form
Sprich langsamer!	Speak more slowly!	e→i change applies
Lies das bitte!	Read this please!	e→ie change applies
Fahr vorsichtig!	Drive carefully!	No umlaut in imperative
Sei still!	Be quiet!	Irregular: sein
Rufen Sie mich an!	Call me!	Separable + Sie
Kommt mit!	Come along!	ihr + separable
Warte bitte!	Wait please!	-e kept (stem ends in -t)

Common Mistakes

Adding the umlaut in a→ä imperatives

• Wrong: Fähr langsam!
• Right: Fahr langsam!
• Why: The a→ä stem change does NOT apply in the imperative. Only e→i/ie changes carry over.

Using the pronoun with du-form

• Wrong: Komm du her! (this exists but implies annoyance/emphasis)
• Right: Komm her!
• Why: The standard du-imperative drops the pronoun. Adding "du" makes it emphatic or even angry.

Using the wrong form for the audience

• Wrong: Komm Sie her!
• Right: Kommen Sie her!
• Why: The Sie-form uses the full verb form with Sie after it. Do not mix du-imperative structure with the Sie pronoun.

Practice Tips

1. Recipe reading: German recipes use the imperative extensively: "Schneide die Zwiebeln. Brate sie an. Gib Salz dazu." Read recipes and identify each imperative form.
2. Classroom commands: Practice common classroom/daily commands: "Öffne das Buch! Schreib das auf! Hör zu! Steh auf!"
3. Polite requests: Add bitte (please) to soften commands: "Kommen Sie bitte herein." This makes the imperative appropriate for nearly any situation.

Related Concepts

• Parent: Regular Verbs (Present) — the base conjugation from which imperatives are derived