Imperative (Imperativ)
The Imperativ gives commands, requests, and instructions. German has three forms matching its three "you" pronouns: du (informal singular), ihr (informal plural), and Sie (formal). The du-form usually drops the ending and the pronoun (Komm!), the ihr-form looks like the normal ihr-verb without the pronoun (Kommt!), and the Sie-form keeps the pronoun after the verb (Kommen Sie!).
The three forms
Each addressee gets its own command form.
- du: verb stem, no pronoun — Geh! Komm! Mach! (an optional -e: Gehe!)
- ihr: like the present ihr-form, no pronoun — Geht! Kommt! Macht!
- Sie: present Sie-form with the pronoun after the verb — Gehen Sie! Kommen Sie!
Komm her!
Come here!
du
Kommt her!
Come here! (to several friends)
ihr
Kommen Sie herein!
Come in! (formal)
Sie
Strong verbs: e → i stays in the du-form
Verbs that change e → i / ie in the present du-form keep that change in the du-imperative — and take no -e ending. Verbs that change a → ä do not keep the umlaut in the imperative.
- geben → Gib!, nehmen → Nimm!, lesen → Lies!, sprechen → Sprich!
- BUT fahren → Fahr! (no ä), schlafen → Schlaf! (no ä)
Gib mir das Buch!
Give me the book!
geben: e → i kept
Lies den Text!
Read the text!
lesen: e → ie kept
sein is irregular; softening commands
The imperative of sein is irregular: Sei! (du), Seid! (ihr), Seien Sie! (Sie). Adding bitte and particles like mal or doch makes a command friendlier.
Sei vorsichtig!
Be careful!
du form of sein
Seien Sie so nett!
Be so kind!
Sie form of sein
Mach bitte das Fenster zu.
Please close the window.
bitte softens the command
Examples
Geh nach Hause!
Go home!
du
Macht eure Hausaufgaben!
Do your homework!
ihr
Nehmen Sie bitte Platz!
Please have a seat!
Sie
Gib mir bitte das Salz.
Please pass me the salt.
geben: Gib!
Sei bitte leise!
Please be quiet!
sein: Sei!
Imperative forms
| Verb | du | ihr | Sie |
|---|---|---|---|
| kommen | Komm! | Kommt! | Kommen Sie! |
| gehen | Geh! | Geht! | Gehen Sie! |
| geben | Gib! | Gebt! | Geben Sie! |
| lesen | Lies! | Lest! | Lesen Sie! |
| sein | Sei! | Seid! | Seien Sie! |
Common Mistakes
- ✗ Du komm her! → ✓ Komm her! (drop the pronoun du in the informal imperative)
- ✗ Gibst mir das! → ✓ Gib mir das! (du-imperative of geben is Gib!, with no -st)
- ✗ Fähr schneller! → ✓ Fahr schneller! (a → ä verbs lose the umlaut in the imperative)
- ✗ Sie kommen! (as a command) → ✓ Kommen Sie! (verb first, pronoun after)
- ✗ Bist ruhig! → ✓ Sei ruhig! (sein has the irregular imperative Sei!)
Lookup Tips
- Informal commands drop the pronoun; the formal Sie-command keeps "Sie" right after the verb.
- If a verb changes e → i/ie for "du" in the present, keep that change in the du-command and add no -e.
- a → ä verbs do NOT umlaut in the imperative: Fahr!, Schlaf!, Lauf!
Frequently asked questions
Why is it "Gib!" and not "Gibe!" or "Gebe!"?
geben changes e → i in the du-form (du gibst), and the du-imperative uses that changed stem with no ending: Gib!
Do a → ä verbs umlaut in the imperative?
No. Only the present du/er-forms umlaut (du fährst), but the imperative is Fahr! — no ä.
How do I make a command more polite?
Use the Sie-form and add "bitte", or soften a du-command with "bitte"/"mal": "Mach bitte mal das Fenster zu."