Imperative Forms in Urdu

Overview

Urdu has three distinct imperative (command) forms corresponding to the three levels of the second person pronoun: تو (intimate), تم (informal), and آپ (formal). At the CEFR B1 level, mastering all three forms is important because choosing the wrong imperative level can be socially inappropriate — just as choosing the wrong pronoun would be.

The three forms range from the bare verb stem (most direct/intimate) to progressively more elaborate endings that signal increasing respect. The formal آپ imperative is the safest default and can even sound like a polite request rather than a command.

Negative imperatives use مت mat (don't) placed before the verb, and various politeness softeners like ذرا zarā (just/please) and مہربانی سے (kindly) are commonly added.

How It Works

Three Imperative Levels

Level	Formation	Example with بیٹھنا (sit)
تو (intimate)	Verb stem alone	بیٹھ baiṭh (Sit!)
تم (informal)	Stem + و -o	بیٹھو baiṭho (Sit!)
آپ (formal)	Stem + یے -iye / یں -eṅ	بیٹھیے baiṭhiye (Please sit!)

Common Verbs in All Three Forms

Infinitive	تو	تم	آپ
آنا (come)	آ	آؤ	آئیے
جانا (go)	جا	جاؤ	جائیے
کرنا (do)	کر	کرو	کیجیے
دینا (give)	دے	دو	دیجیے
لینا (take)	لے	لو	لیجیے
بولنا (speak)	بول	بولو	بولیے
سننا (listen)	سن	سنو	سنیے

Negative Imperatives

مت + imperative form:

• مت جاؤ! (Don't go! — informal)
• مت بولیے! (Please don't speak! — formal)

Politeness Softeners

Softener	Transliteration	Usage
ذرا	zarā	Just/please (mild softener)
مہربانی سے	mehrbānī se	Kindly
برائے مہربانی	barā-e mehrbānī	Please (formal)
ذرا سنیے	zarā suniye	Please listen (polite attention-getter)

Examples in Context

Urdu	Transliteration	English	Note
بیٹھ!	baiṭh!	Sit!	تو form — very direct
بیٹھو!	baiṭho!	Sit!	تم form — informal
بیٹھیے!	baiṭhiye!	Please sit!	آپ form — formal
ذرا یہاں آئیے۔	zarā yahāṅ āiye	Please come here.	Polite with ذرا
مت جاؤ!	mat jāo!	Don't go!	Negative informal
سنو، ایک بات بتاؤں؟	suno, ek bāt batāūṅ?	Listen, shall I tell you something?	Informal attention
برائے مہربانی خاموش رہیں۔	barā-e mehrbānī khāmosh raheṅ	Please remain quiet.	Very formal
یہ پڑھو۔	yeh paṛho	Read this.	Informal command
مجھے بتائیے۔	mujhe batāiye	Please tell me.	Formal request
ادھر دیکھو!	idhar dekho!	Look here!	Informal attention

Common Mistakes

Using تو Form with Non-Intimate Addressees

• Wrong: بیٹھ! (to a stranger or elder)
• Right: بیٹھیے! or تشریف رکھیے!
• Why: The تو imperative is only appropriate for very close intimates, children, or when deliberately being rude.

Mixing Imperative Levels

• Wrong: آپ بیٹھو۔ (آپ with تم-level verb)
• Right: آپ بیٹھیے۔
• Why: The pronoun and imperative form must match in formality level.

Using نہیں Instead of مت for Negative Commands

• Wrong: نہیں جاؤ!
• Right: مت جاؤ!
• Why: Imperative negation requires مت, not نہیں.

Usage Notes

In everyday Pakistani conversation, the تم form is the most commonly used imperative. The آپ form is used with elders, strangers, and in professional settings. The تو form is reserved for very intimate relationships or talking to small children.

The honorific تشریف (honor) is used with آپ-level imperatives for extra politeness: تشریف رکھیے (please be seated), تشریف لائیے (please come).

Practice Tips

• Practice conjugating five common verbs across all three imperative levels.
• Role-play scenarios where you must choose the right level: ordering food (تم/آپ), asking a friend (تم), requesting from an elder (آپ).
• Practice negative imperatives with مت for common situations: don't go, don't worry, don't be late.

Related Concepts

• Prerequisite: Personal Pronouns and Honorifics — The three-tier pronoun system that governs imperative forms
• Next steps: Permission with دینا and Requests — Giving permission and making polite requests