Imperative Mood in Swedish

Overview

The imperative mood is how you give commands, instructions, and directions in Swedish. It is one of the simplest verb forms to construct -- in most cases, you just use the verb stem. At the B1 level, you will need the imperative for giving directions, following recipes, understanding signs, and navigating everyday situations.

Swedish imperatives are more direct than their English equivalents, and Swedish culture often softens them with polite additions rather than avoiding them altogether. Understanding both the bare command form and the polite alternatives will help you communicate appropriately in different social contexts.

The formation rules depend on which verb group the verb belongs to, so your knowledge of Swedish verb groups from the present tense will serve you well here.

How It Works

Formation by verb group

Verb Group	Infinitive	Present	Imperative	Rule
Group 1 (-ar)	tala	talar	tala!	Same as infinitive (ends in -a)
Group 2a (-er, -te)	läsa	läser	läs!	Verb stem (remove -a)
Group 2b (-er, -de)	ringa	ringer	ring!	Verb stem (remove -a)
Group 3 (-r)	bo	bor	bo!	Same as infinitive
Group 4 (irregular)	komma	kommer	kom!	Verb stem (often shortened)
Group 4 (irregular)	skriva	skriver	skriv!	Verb stem
Group 4 (irregular)	gå	går	gå!	Same as infinitive

Key pattern: For Group 1, the imperative is identical to the infinitive. For Groups 2-4, it is the verb stem (infinitive minus the final -a, if present).

Special cases

Verb	Infinitive	Imperative	Note
vara	vara	var!	Be!
ha	ha	ha!	Have!
ge/giva	ge	ge!	Give!
se	se	se!	Look!
ta	ta	ta!	Take!

Polite alternatives

Direct imperatives can sound blunt. Swedish offers several ways to soften commands:

Strategy	Example	Translation
Var snäll och + imperative	Var snäll och vänta.	Please wait.
Kan du + infinitive	Kan du stänga dörren?	Can you close the door?
Skulle du kunna + infinitive	Skulle du kunna hjälpa mig?	Could you help me?
Snälla + imperative	Snälla, lyssna!	Please, listen!

Negative imperative

Simply add inte after the verb:

• Gå inte dit! (Don't go there!)
• Rör inte! (Don't touch!)
• Glöm inte nyckeln! (Don't forget the key!)

Imperative with pronouns and particles

Pronouns and verb particles follow the imperative verb:

• Sätt dig! (Sit down!) -- reflexive pronoun follows
• Stäng av musiken! (Turn off the music!) -- particle follows
• Ring mig imorgon! (Call me tomorrow!) -- object follows

Examples in Context

Swedish	English	Note
Tala långsammare!	Speak more slowly!	Group 1: imperative = infinitive
Läs den här boken!	Read this book!	Group 2a: stem only
Kom hit!	Come here!	Group 4: stem
Var snäll och vänta.	Please wait.	Polite form
Skriv ditt namn här.	Write your name here.	Group 4: stem
Stäng dörren!	Close the door!	Group 2: stem
Gå inte på gräset!	Don't walk on the grass!	Negative imperative
Lyssna på mig!	Listen to me!	Group 1: imperative = infinitive
Titta! Det snöar!	Look! It's snowing!	Group 1
Var försiktig!	Be careful!	Irregular: var
Sätt dig ner!	Sit down!	Reflexive + particle
Öppna fönstret, snälla!	Open the window, please!	Informal polite
Ta med dig paraplyet!	Bring your umbrella!	Particle verb
Skynda dig!	Hurry up!	Reflexive verb

Common Mistakes

Wrong: Talar långsammare! Right: Tala långsammare! Why: Do not use the present tense form for the imperative. Group 1 verbs use the infinitive form (without -r), which happens to end in -a.

Wrong: Komma hit! Right: Kom hit! Why: For Group 4 (and Groups 2-3), the imperative is the stem, not the infinitive. Remove the -a ending.

Wrong: Inte gå dit! Right: Gå inte dit! Why: In imperatives, inte follows the verb, unlike in subordinate clauses where it precedes the verb.

Wrong: Var snäll att vänta. Right: Var snäll och vänta. Why: The polite formula uses och (and), not att (to). It literally means "be kind and wait."

Wrong: Sitter dig ner! Right: Sätt dig ner! Why: Use the imperative form of the verb (sätt), not the present tense (sitter). Sitta (sit/be sitting) and sätta sig (sit down) are different verbs.

Usage Notes

Swedish imperatives are used freely in certain contexts: recipes, instruction manuals, road signs, and between close friends or family. In these situations, bare imperatives are perfectly natural and not considered rude.

However, in service situations, workplaces, and with strangers, Swedes typically soften commands with kan du, skulle du kunna, or var snäll och. Using bare imperatives with people you do not know well can come across as too direct, even though it is grammatically correct.

Written instructions (assembly manuals, public signs, recipes) almost always use the bare imperative: Blanda mjöl och socker (Mix flour and sugar), Parkera inte här (Do not park here).

There is little regional variation in imperative formation. The choice between direct and softened imperatives is more about social context than geography.

Practice Tips

1. Follow a recipe in Swedish -- recipes are entirely built on imperatives. Find a Swedish recipe online and identify each imperative verb. Then try writing your own recipe for a dish you know well.

2. Give directions -- practice giving walking directions using imperatives: Gå rakt fram, sväng till höger, fortsätt två kvarter... (Go straight, turn right, continue two blocks...).

3. Practice softening -- take five direct commands and rewrite them using Kan du...? and Var snäll och.... This builds awareness of register and politeness levels.

Related Concepts

• Present Tense (Verb Groups) (parent) -- knowing which verb group a verb belongs to is essential for forming the imperative correctly