The German Imperative: Formal and Informal
The German imperative helps you give advice, make requests and give orders, and it is easier to form than you might think. This lesson shows you the formal imperative (Sie) and the informal imperative (du) when you speak to one person, with the conjugation rules, the sentence structure and the special cases. If you talk to two or more people, see the plural lesson at the end of this page.
When Do You Use the Imperative?
You use the imperative (der Imperativ) to tell someone what to do. That includes orders (Sei leise!), requests (Kommen Sie bitte herein.), advice (Trink mehr Wasser!), instructions (Ă–ffnen Sie die Datei.) and invitations (Nimm doch noch ein StĂĽck Kuchen!). Adding bitte makes any request more polite.
The Formal Imperative (Sie)
The formal imperative is easy. Take the infinitive, put it in the first position and add Sie. This works for every verb except sein.
| Infinitive | Formal imperative |
|---|---|
| kommen | Kommen Sie bitte herein! |
| warten | Warten Sie einen Moment! |
| nehmen | Nehmen Sie Platz! |
| sprechen | Sprechen Sie bitte langsam! |
The Informal Imperative (du)
For the informal imperative, take the du form of the present tense, remove -st and du. What is left is the stem, and often you can add an optional -e at the end.
| Infinitive | du (present) | Imperative |
|---|---|---|
| kommen | du kommst | Komm! / Komme! |
| machen | du machst | Mach das bitte! |
| gehen | du gehst | Geh nach Hause! |
| lernen | du lernst | Lern jeden Tag Deutsch! |
In everyday speech, most people leave off the -e.
Special Cases
- Verbs with a stem ending in -t, -d or -n keep the -e: Arbeite nicht so viel! Warte auf mich! Ă–ffne das Fenster!
- Verbs that change e to i or ie keep the change and never take the -e: sprechen → Sprich!, nehmen → Nimm!, geben → Gib!, lesen → Lies!, essen → Iss!
- Verbs with a → ä do not take the umlaut in the imperative: fahren → Fahr langsam!, schlafen → Schlaf gut!, laufen → Lauf!
- Separable verbs split up: the prefix goes to the end. Steh auf! Ruf mich an! Mach das Licht aus!
- Reflexive verbs keep the reflexive pronoun: Setz dich! Beeil dich! Setzen Sie sich!
- sein is irregular: Sei ruhig! / Seien Sie pĂĽnktlich!
- haben: Hab Geduld! / Haben Sie Geduld!
Sentence Structure
The verb is in the first position, and the rest of the sentence follows. Other elements come after the verb:
- Machen Sie bitte das Fenster zu!
- Iss deinen Salat!
- Gib mir bitte das Buch!
With Sie, the pronoun stays after the verb. With du, the pronoun is left out.
Bonus Tip
The video ends with a bonus tip. Watch until the end to hear it.
What to Learn Next
Speaking to two or more people? Then you need The German Imperative in the Plural. For reflexive verbs in the imperative, see German Reflexive Verbs with Accusative, and for the du-forms of the present tense, see The German Present Tense Explained for Beginners.
Frequently Asked Questions
How do you form the formal imperative in German?
Put the infinitive in first position and add Sie: Kommen Sie bitte herein! The only exception is sein: Seien Sie pĂĽnktlich!
How do you form the informal imperative with du?
Take the du form of the present tense, remove -st and the pronoun du. Komm! Mach! Geh! You can add an optional -e, but most people leave it off in speech.
Which verbs change their vowel in the imperative?
Verbs that change e to i or ie in the present tense keep that change: Sprich! Nimm! Gib! Lies! Iss! Verbs with a → ä do not use the umlaut in the imperative: Fahr! Schlaf!
Where does the prefix go in the imperative of separable verbs?
To the end of the sentence: Steh auf! Ruf mich an! Mach das Licht aus!
What is the imperative of sein?
Sei for du (Sei ruhig!) and Seien Sie for Sie (Seien Sie pĂĽnktlich!).
Learning German from the beginning? Our A1 German course covers the imperative and all the other basics in short, clear lessons.
