Giving Simple Commands and Suggestions in Italian: The 'Tu' Imperative
Benvenuti! (Welcome!) Sometimes you don't just want to describe things; you want to tell someone what to do or suggest an action. In Italian, you use the imperative mood for this. For beginners, the most common and useful form of the imperative is the 'tu' form, used when speaking directly to one person informally (like a friend, family member, or someone your age or younger).
The 'tu' imperative is essential for giving simple instructions, making requests, or offering suggestions in everyday informal situations. This guide will explain how to form the 'tu' imperative for regular verbs and cover some key irregular ones. Mastering this is a great step in becoming more conversational, a core focus of our speaking-focused Italian classes.
Forming the Regular 'Tu' Imperative
Good news! For most regular verbs, the 'tu' imperative form is very simple:
-ARE Verbs: The 'lui/lei' form of the present tense
For regular verbs ending in -are, the 'tu' imperative is the same as the 3rd person singular (lui/lei) form of the present tense.
| Infinitive | 'Tu' Present | 'Lui/Lei' Present | 'Tu' Imperative | English Meaning | Example Usage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| parlare (to speak) | parli | parla | Parla! | Speak! | Parla più lentamente! (Speak more slowly!) |
| ascoltare (to listen) | ascolti | ascolta | Ascolta! | Listen! | Ascolta la musica! (Listen to the music!) |
| guardare (to look/watch) | guardi | guarda | Guarda! | Look! / Watch! | Guarda questo! (Look at this!) |
| mangiare (to eat) | mangi | mangia | Mangia! | Eat! | Mangia la pasta! (Eat the pasta!) |
-ERE & -IRE Verbs: The 'tu' form of the present tense
For regular verbs ending in -ere and -ire, the 'tu' imperative is the same as the 2nd person singular (tu) form of the present tense.
| Infinitive | 'Tu' Present | 'Tu' Imperative | English Meaning | Example Usage |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| prendere (to take) | prendi | Prendi! | Take! | Prendi il libro! (Take the book!) |
| leggere (to read) | leggi | Leggi! | Read! | Leggi questa frase. (Read this sentence.) |
| dormire (to sleep) | dormi | Dormi! | Sleep! | Dormi bene! (Sleep well!) |
| finire (to finish) (isc verb) |
finisci | Finisci! | Finish! | Finisci il lavoro! (Finish the work!) |
Summary for Regular 'Tu' Imperative:
- -ARE verbs: ends in -a (like lui/lei present)
- -ERE verbs: ends in -i (like tu present)
- -IRE verbs: ends in -i (like tu present, including -isc- verbs)
Common Irregular 'Tu' Imperatives
Some very common verbs have irregular 'tu' imperative forms. Many of these are actually quite short and easy to remember!
| Infinitive | 'Tu' Imperative | English Meaning | Example Usage |
|---|---|---|---|
| fare (to do/make) | fai or fa' | Do! / Make! | Fai i compiti! (Do your homework!) Fa' presto! (Hurry up! - literally 'make quickly') |
| dire (to say/tell) | dici or di' | Say! / Tell! | Dici la verità. (Tell the truth.) Di' la verità. (Same meaning, shorter form.) |
| andare (to go) | vai or va' | Go! | Vai a casa! (Go home!) Va' via! (Go away!) |
| stare (to be/stay/feel) | stai or sta' | Be! / Stay! | Stai attento! (Be careful! / Pay attention!) Sta' zitto! (Be quiet! - informal) |
| dare (to give) | dai or da' | Give! | Dai un'occhiata! (Take a look! / Give a look!) Da' un bacio! (Give a kiss!) |
| essere (to be) | sii | Be! | Sii gentile! (Be kind!) Sii felice! (Be happy!) |
| avere (to have) | abbi | Have! | Abbi pazienza! (Have patience!) Abbi cura di te! (Take care of yourself!) |
Note: The shorter irregular forms (fa', di', va', sta', da') always have an apostrophe. This indicates that a letter has been dropped (e.g., *fare* -> *fa* -> *fa'*). Don't forget the apostrophe!
Negative 'Tu' Imperative
To tell someone *not* to do something in the 'tu' form, it's even simpler! You use the word non followed by the infinitive form of the verb.
| Italian Negative Command | English Meaning | Example Usage |
|---|---|---|
| Non parlare! | Don't speak! | Non parlare forte! (Don't speak loudly!) |
| Non guardare! | Don't look! | Non guardare adesso! (Don't look now!) |
| Non mangiare! | Don't eat! | Non mangiare qui! (Don't eat here!) |
| Non dormire! | Don't sleep! | Non dormire in classe! (Don't sleep in class!) |
| Non fare! | Don't do/make! | Non fare rumore! (Don't make noise!) |
| Non dire! | Don't say/tell! | Non dire bugie! (Don't tell lies!) |
Pratica il tuo Imperativo! Area Membri
Metti alla prova la tua conoscenza dell'imperativo "tu" con il nostro quiz interattivo!
Fai il nostro quiz sull'ImperativoConclusion: Command and Suggest with Confidence!
The 'tu' imperative is a vital part of everyday informal Italian communication. It allows you to give instructions, share suggestions, and interact dynamically with friends and family. While there are a few irregulars to memorize, the patterns for regular verbs are quite simple once you know them.
Practice using these imperative forms in simple sentences. Try giving yourself commands or talking to pets/plants using the 'tu' form. Listen for these commands in Italian media. Using them actively is the best way to make them part of your natural speech. Our interactive online Italian classes and Italian language classes in Chennai offer plenty of opportunities to practice using the imperative in real conversational contexts.
Ready to add commands and suggestions to your Italian vocabulary?
Explore Our Italian Language CoursesKeep practicing, and you'll soon be using the Italian imperative with ease! Buon apprendimento! (Happy learning!)