The German Imperative in the Plural
When you talk to two or more people, you need the plural imperative, and you will use it all the time. Whenever you give advice, an order or a request to a group, you use the Imperativ Plural. This lesson shows you how to form the informal (ihr) and the formal (Sie) versions, with many examples.
Quick Review: The Imperative in the Singular
With one person you say Komm! (du) or Kommen Sie! (Sie). If you need a refresher, read The German Imperative: Formal and Informal first.
Formal or Informal in the Plural?
In the plural, the difference between formal and informal is very small.
| Situation | Form | Example |
|---|---|---|
| informal: you talk to friends, family, children | ihr-form, without the pronoun | Kommt bitte! |
| formal: you talk to several people you address with Sie | Sie-form, same as in the singular | Kommen Sie bitte! |
So the formal imperative plural is exactly the same as the formal imperative singular. You only need to learn one new form: the informal one.
How to Form the Informal Imperative Plural
Take the ihr form of the present tense and leave out the pronoun ihr. That is all.
| Infinitive | ihr (present) | Imperative plural |
|---|---|---|
| kommen | ihr kommt | Kommt! |
| machen | ihr macht | Macht die Hausaufgaben! |
| lernen | ihr lernt | Lernt jeden Tag Deutsch! |
| warten | ihr wartet | Wartet auf mich! |
| nehmen | ihr nehmt | Nehmt eure BĆ¼cher! |
| sprechen | ihr sprecht | Sprecht bitte langsamer! |
There is no vowel change in the plural, not even for verbs like nehmen or sprechen. The forms follow the ihr conjugation exactly.
Special Verbs
- sein: Seid leise! / Seien Sie leise!
- haben: Habt Geduld! / Haben Sie Geduld!
- Separable verbs: the prefix goes to the end. Steht auf! Ruft mich an! Macht das Licht aus!
- Reflexive verbs: use euch for ihr and sich for Sie. Setzt euch! Beeilt euch! Setzen Sie sich!
Example Sentences
- Kinder, macht bitte eure Hausaufgaben!
- Seid bitte pĆ¼nktlich!
- Kommt doch morgen zu uns!
- Meine Damen und Herren, nehmen Sie bitte Platz!
Bonus Tip: doch
The video ends with a bonus tip about how to give advice properly with the little word doch. A plain imperative can sound like an order. If you add doch, it sounds like a friendly suggestion: Lest doch mal dieses Buch! (Why don't you read this book?). Watch the end of the video to hear how it is used.
Homework
The video finishes with homework. Think of a situation where you give advice to two friends, and write three sentences with the imperative plural in the comments under the video.
What to Learn Next
To make the ihr form easy, review The German Present Tense Explained for Beginners. For the accusative case you often need after the imperative, see 30 Most Important German Verbs with Accusative.
Frequently Asked Questions
How do you form the imperative plural in German?
Take the ihr form of the present tense and leave out ihr: ihr macht becomes Macht! ihr kommt becomes Kommt!
What is the formal imperative plural?
It is the same as the formal singular: the infinitive followed by Sie, for example Kommen Sie bitte!
What is the imperative of sein in the plural?
Seid for ihr (Seid leise!) and Seien Sie for Sie (Seien Sie bitte leise!).
How do you use reflexive verbs in the imperative plural?
Keep the reflexive pronoun after the verb: Setzt euch! Beeilt euch! With Sie: Setzen Sie sich!
What does doch do in an imperative sentence?
It makes the sentence sound like a friendly suggestion instead of an order: Kommt doch mal vorbei!
Want to speak German with confidence from the very start? Our A1 German course practises these forms step by step.
