Imperative Mood in Italian

Overview

The imperativo (imperative mood) is how you give commands, instructions, directions, and suggestions in Italian. From a recipe telling you to "mescola gli ingredienti" (mix the ingredients) to a friend saying "vieni qui!" (come here!), the imperative is everywhere in daily life.

Italian has different imperative forms depending on whom you are addressing and whether you are speaking formally or informally. The tu form (informal singular) is the most common, while the Lei form (formal singular) borrows from the subjunctive to convey respect. The imperative also has special rules for negative commands and pronoun placement that make it distinct from other tenses.

Understanding the imperative is not just about giving orders — it is about following recipes, understanding signs, giving directions, and making suggestions. It is a practical tense that you will encounter and use every day.

How It Works

Affirmative imperative forms

Person	-ARE (parlare)	-ERE (prendere)	-IRE (sentire)	-IRE -isc (finire)
tu	parla	prendi	senti	finisci
Lei	parli	prenda	senta	finisca
noi	parliamo	prendiamo	sentiamo	finiamo
voi	parlate	prendete	sentite	finite

Note: The tu form of -ARE verbs ends in -a (not -i like the present indicative tu form). For -ERE and -IRE verbs, the tu imperative is the same as the present indicative.

Common irregular imperatives

Verb	tu	Lei	noi	voi
essere	sii	sia	siamo	siate
avere	abbi	abbia	abbiamo	abbiate
andare	va' (vai)	vada	andiamo	andate
fare	fa' (fai)	faccia	facciamo	fate
dare	da' (dai)	dia	diamo	date
dire	di'	dica	diciamo	dite
stare	sta' (stai)	stia	stiamo	state
venire	vieni	venga	veniamo	venite
sapere	sappi	sappia	sappiamo	sappiate

Negative imperative

Person	Formation	Example
tu	non + infinitive	Non parlare! (Don't speak!)
Lei	non + imperative	Non parli! (Don't speak! — formal)
noi	non + imperative	Non parliamo! (Let's not speak!)
voi	non + imperative	Non parlate! (Don't speak! — plural)

The tu negative is special: it uses the infinitive instead of the conjugated form.

Pronoun placement

Context	Rule	Example
Affirmative tu/noi/voi	Pronoun attaches to verb	Dimmi! (Tell me!)
Affirmative Lei	Pronoun stays before verb	Mi dica! (Tell me! — formal)
Negative tu	Pronoun before infinitive or attached	Non mi dire! / Non dirmi!
Negative Lei/noi/voi	Pronoun stays before verb	Non mi dica!

With shortened tu imperatives (va', fa', da', di', sta'), pronouns double their initial consonant when attaching: dimmi (tell me), fallo (do it), dacci (give us), vacci (go there). Exception: gli does not double: digli (tell him).

Examples in Context

Italian	English	Note
Ascolta questa canzone!	Listen to this song!	tu — informal
Scusi, mi dica l'orario.	Excuse me, tell me the schedule.	Lei — formal
Andiamo al cinema stasera!	Let's go to the cinema tonight!	noi — suggestion
Ragazzi, fate attenzione!	Guys, pay attention!	voi — group command
Non preoccuparti!	Don't worry!	Negative tu + attached pronoun
Non tocchi nulla, per favore.	Please don't touch anything.	Negative Lei
Dimmi la verità.	Tell me the truth.	di' + mi = dimmi
Prendete i vostri libri e apriteli a pagina dieci.	Take your books and open them to page ten.	voi — classroom instruction
Sii paziente, vedrai che tutto si risolverà.	Be patient, you'll see that everything will work out.	Irregular: essere tu
Fammi un favore!	Do me a favor!	fa' + mi = fammi
Stia tranquillo, Signore.	Stay calm, Sir.	Lei — formal
Non andare via!	Don't go away!	Negative tu — infinitive

Common Mistakes

Using the indicative form for formal Lei commands

• Wrong: Signora, prende un caffè!
• Right: Signora, prenda un caffè!
• Why: The formal imperative (Lei) uses subjunctive forms, not indicative. "Prende" is present indicative; "prenda" is the correct imperative for formal address.

Using the conjugated form for negative tu

• Wrong: Non parla! (this sounds like a Lei command or a statement)
• Right: Non parlare!
• Why: The negative tu imperative requires the infinitive. This is unique to the tu form — all other persons keep their conjugated form after "non."

Forgetting consonant doubling with shortened imperatives

• Wrong: Dimi la verità.
• Right: Dimmi la verità.
• Why: When pronouns attach to shortened tu imperatives (di', fa', da', va', sta'), the first consonant of the pronoun doubles: mi → mmi, lo → llo, ci → cci.

Placing pronouns incorrectly with Lei

• Wrong: Dicami, Signore!
• Right: Mi dica, Signore!
• Why: With the formal Lei imperative, pronouns always go before the verb, not after. Attaching pronouns only happens with tu, noi, and voi affirmative forms.

Usage Notes

The imperative in Italian covers a wide range of tones, from sharp commands to gentle suggestions. Adding per favore (please) or per cortesia (if you please) softens any command. The noi form functions as "let's" and is a common way to make group suggestions.

In recipes, instructions, and signs, the imperative is the standard form. You will see it constantly: "Girare a destra" (Turn right — infinitive used as a general instruction) and "Spingere" (Push) on doors use the infinitive as a general-audience imperative, which is an alternative to the voi form.

In spoken Italian, the tu imperative is sometimes softened by using the present tense as a question: "Mi passi il sale?" (Will you pass me the salt?) instead of "Passami il sale!" This is common among friends and family.

Practice Tips

1. Follow recipes in Italian: Italian recipes are a goldmine of imperative forms. Find a simple recipe and follow the instructions, noting each imperative verb. "Taglia le cipolle, aggiungi l'olio, mescola bene..."
2. Give directions: Practice giving directions to an imaginary tourist using both tu (a friend) and Lei (a stranger): "Vai dritto" vs. "Vada dritto."
3. Practice negative commands: For each affirmative tu command you know, create the negative: "Parla!" → "Non parlare!" This drills the infinitive rule until it becomes automatic.

Related Concepts

• Regular -ARE Verbs — the base conjugation patterns
• Present Subjunctive — the source of formal Lei imperative forms
• Combined Pronouns — pronoun combinations that attach to imperative forms
• Direct Object Pronouns — pronouns that attach to or precede imperative verbs