Imperative Mood in Persian

Overview

The imperative mood is used for commands, requests, and instructions. In Persian, it shares the same ب (be-) prefix as the subjunctive, but it only exists in the second person — you are telling someone to do something. At the B1 level, mastering the imperative lets you give directions, make requests, and understand instructions.

The singular informal imperative (for تو) uses ب + present stem: برو (boro, go!). The formal/plural imperative (for شما) adds ید: بروید (beravid, go!). Negative imperatives replace ب with ن: نرو (naro, don't go!). The system is clean and consistent.

Persian culture places great value on politeness, so the imperative is often softened with لطفاً (lotfan, please) or replaced entirely with polite expressions like بفرمایید (befarmāyid, please go ahead). Understanding when to use a direct command versus a polite alternative is as important as knowing the grammar.

How It Works

Form	Pattern	Example with رفتن (go)
Informal (تو)	ب + present stem	برو boro (go!)
Formal (شما)	ب + present stem + ید	بروید beravid (go!)
Negative informal	ن + present stem	نرو naro (don't go!)
Negative formal	ن + present stem + ید	نروید naravid (don't go!)

Common imperatives:

Verb	Informal	Formal	Meaning
رفتن (go)	برو	بروید	Go!
آمدن (come)	بیا	بیایید	Come!
خوردن (eat)	بخور	بخورید	Eat!
گفتن (say)	بگو	بگویید	Say/Tell!
نشستن (sit)	بنشین	بنشینید	Sit!
دیدن (see)	ببین	ببینید	Look/See!
کردن (do)	بکن	بکنید	Do!

Compound verb imperatives: Only the light verb takes the imperative form:

• کار کن! (kār kon, work!), صبر کن! (sabr kon, wait!), گوش کن! (gush kon, listen!)

Examples in Context

Persian	English	Note
برو!	Go!	Informal
بفرمایید!	Please (come in/sit/go ahead)!	Ultra-polite
نرو!	Don't go!	Negative imperative
گوش کن!	Listen!	Compound verb
لطفاً بنشینید.	Please sit down.	Formal with لطفاً
ببخشید.	Excuse me.	Fixed imperative expression
بیا اینجا!	Come here!	Informal
صبر کنید.	Wait. (formal)	Compound verb
نگران نباش!	Don't worry!	Negative + بودن
این را بخوان.	Read this.	With direct object

Common Mistakes

Using the infinitive as a command

• Wrong: رفتن! (to go!)
• Right: برو! (go!)
• Why: Persian does not use the infinitive for commands. The imperative has its own dedicated form with the ب prefix.

Forgetting to change ب to ن for negative

• Wrong: نه برو (no go)
• Right: نرو (don't go)
• Why: Negative imperatives replace ب with ن directly on the stem. Do not use نه as a separate word before the imperative.

Using informal imperative in formal situations

• Wrong: برو (to your boss or a stranger)
• Right: بروید or بفرمایید
• Why: Using the informal imperative with someone you should address as شما is disrespectful. Always match the imperative form to the appropriate register.

Usage Notes

The verb فرمودن (farmudan) provides the most polite imperative form: بفرمایید (befarmāyid). This all-purpose polite expression means "please" in various contexts — "please come in," "please sit down," "please go ahead," "please help yourself." It is one of the most important words in Persian social interaction.

In colloquial speech, imperatives often drop the ب prefix with common verbs: بیا → بیا (no change for آمدن), but برو → رو (informal shortening). The negative form نرو sometimes becomes نرو (unchanged) or even نَلو (very colloquial).

Practice Tips

1. Learn the most common imperative pairs (positive/negative): برو/نرو, بیا/نیا, بخور/نخور, بگو/نگو, ببین/نبین.
2. Practice polite requests by adding لطفاً or using بفرمایید in different situations: entering a room, offering food, giving directions.
3. Give yourself instructions in Persian as you go about your day: بلند شو! (get up!), صبحانه بخور! (eat breakfast!), برو سر کار! (go to work!).

Related Concepts

• Subjunctive Mood — shares the ب prefix and present stem pattern