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Imperativ
Theorie
\u00a9 Thomas H\u00f6fler 2005 \u2013 2009
1
learning target
Aim of this section is to learn how to ask somebody for something, to warn somebody, to make a request, to
give somebody an advice, instructions or a command.
Deutsch
Englisch

favour
warning
advice
request
instructions
command

Bittes chr eib mir.

Iss das nicht!
Frag lieber noch mal.
Geben Sie mir bitte das Formular.
Nehmen Sie jeden Tag zwei Tabletten.
H\u00f6renS ie zu!

Please,w rit e me.
Don'teat this!
You'd bettera sk again.

Give me the form, please.
Take every day two pills.
Listen tom e!

rules
You can address your request, suggestion, command and so on to three different "people":
\u2022
du (single person; informal way)
\u2022
Sie (single person or several people; formal way)
\u2022
ihr (several people; informal way)
Imperative form for "du"
1.) Just use the conjugated form of the verb for "du" without the ending "st".
machen (infinitive) -> du machst-> mach! (imperative)
\u2022
Lern flei\u00dfig. (Learn diligently.)
\u2022
Komm mit. (Come with me.)
\u2022
Sag mal. (Tell me.)
2.) Verbs in which the stem ends with "t", "d", "ig", "chn", "dn", "fn", "gn" or "tm" require an additional "e"
after the stem.
\u2022
Arbeite schneller! (Work faster!)
\u2022
Warte bitte. (Please, wait.)
\u2022
Entschuldige dich! (Apologise!)
3.) Verbs which end with "ern" or "eln" require also an additional "e" after the stem.
\u2022
Erinnere dich! (Remeber!)
\u2022
Verbessere deine Leistung. (Improve your performance!)
\u2022
L\u00e4chle ! (Smile!)
Imperativ
Theorie
\u00a9 Thomas H\u00f6fler 2005 \u2013 2009
2
4.) Vowel changing verbs with "e -> i" and "e -> ie" keep the vowel change in the imperative form; vowel
changing verbs with "a -> \u00e4" don't. Here the "a" doesn't change to "\u00e4".
\u2022
Sprich bitte langsam. (Speak slowly, please.)
\u2022
Vergiss das nicht! (Don't forget this!)
\u2022
Schlaf sch\u00f6n. (Sleep well.)
5.) For separable verbs apply the same rules you learned already in section \u201cTrennbare Verben\u201d.
\u2022
split up the prefix from the verb
\u2022
bring the verb into the imperative form
\u2022
put the prefix at the end of the sentence
\u2022
Stehbitte auf. (Stand up, please.)
\u2022
Rufmi ch an!. (Call me!)
\u2022
H\u00f6rmir zu!. (Listen to me!)
Imperative form for "Sie"
Just use the infinitive from of the verb.
\u2022
Sprechen Sie bitte langsam. (Speak slowly, please.)
\u2022
Warten Sie! (Wait!)
\u2022
Nehmen Sie mein Buch. (Take my book.)
Consider that the imperative form for "Sie" always includes the pronoun "Sie" and it's always places after the
verb.
Imperative form for "ihr"
Just use the conjugated form of the verb for "ihr".
\u2022
Sprecht bitte langsam. (Speak slowly, please.)
\u2022
Antwortet ! (Answer!)
\u2022
Kommt zu mir. (Come to me.)
How to say "be something"?
The verb "be" has its own rules. If you want to express that somebody should be punctual, honest and so on
use these expressions:
person
form of "be"
du
Sei ehrlich! (Be honest!)
Sie
Seien Sie ehrlich! (Be honest!)
ihr
Seid ehrlich! (Be honest!)
wir *
Seien wir ehrlich! (Let us be honest!)
* Consider that you can give this advice also to a group which includes yourself.
Imperativ
Theorie
\u00a9 Thomas H\u00f6fler 2005 \u2013 2009
3
How to make a command sound less impolite / strong / bossy?

If you say to somebody:Wa rte! to make him/her wait for you, then this sounds very bossy. If you just add a "filling-word" you can make your statement much more polite. Of course, adding "Bitte" to your statement sounds always more polite.

filling word
How to say "wait for me"
in a polite way?
mal
Wartemal! (wait for me!)
doch
Wartedo ch! (wait for me!)
bitte
Wartebit t e ! (Please, wait!)
examples
Infinitiv
"du"
"Sie"
"ihr"
Englisch
"be", "have" and "will"
sein
sei
seien Sie
seid
be
haben
hab
haben Sie
habt
have
werden
werde
werden Sie
werdet
will
examples for point 1: standard verbs
atmen
atme
atmen Sie
atmet
breathe
beginnen
beginn
beginnen Sie
beginnt
begin
bleiben
bleib
bleiben Sie
bleibt
stay
bringen
bring
bringen Sie
bringt
bring
dr\u00fccken
dr\u00fcck
dr\u00fccken Sie
dr\u00fcckt
hug / push
denken
denk
denken Sie
denkt
think
fragen
frag
fragen Sie
fragt
ask
gehen
geh
gehen Sie
geht
go
kommen
komm
kommen Sie
kommt
come
k\u00fcssen
k\u00fcss
k\u00fcssen Sie
k\u00fcsst
kiss
lernen
lern
lernen Sie
lernt
learn
l\u00fcgen
l\u00fcg
l\u00fcgen Sie
l\u00fcgt
lie
nehmen
nimm
nehmen Sie
nehmt
take
rechnen
rechne
rechnen Sie
rechnet
calculate
rufen
ruf
rufen Sie
ruft
call
sagen
sag
sagen Sie
sagt
sing
schlie\u00dfen
schlie\u00df
schlie\u00dfen Sie
schlie\u00dft
close
schreiben
schreib
schreiben Sie
schreibt
write
singen
sing
singen Sie
singt
sing
sitzen
sitz
sitzen Sie
sitzt
sit
stehen
steh
stehen Sie
steht
stand
\u00fcbersetzen
\u00fcbersetz
\u00fcbersetzen Sie
\u00fcbersetzt
translate
\u00fcberzeugen
\u00fcberzeugen
\u00fcberzeugen Sie
\u00fcberzeugt
convince
of 00

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