The Italian imperative (imperativo) is used to give commands, make requests, offer advice, or invite someone to do something. It is common in everyday conversations, especially when asking someone to listen, wait, come closer, or follow instructions. In English, commands usually use the basic form of the verb, as in Listen! or Come here! Italian works in a similar way, but the verb ending changes depending on who you are speaking to. The most useful forms for beginners are tu (one person, informal), noi (let's), and voi (more than one person). Italian also has a polite form with Lei, used when speaking formally to one person.
Forming the Imperative
With regular verbs, the informal tu imperative has different endings depending on the verb group. Verbs ending in -are take -a, so parlare becomes parla (speak) and ascoltare becomes ascolta (listen). Verbs ending in -ere and -ire normally use the same form as the present tense with tu: prendere → prendi (take) and dormire → dormi (sleep). Verbs such as finire, which add -isc- in parts of the present tense, also use this form in the imperative: finire → finisci (finish). With regular verbs, the noi and voi imperatives use the same forms as the present tense. For example, parliamo means let's speak, while parlate means speak when addressing several people. Subject pronouns are normally omitted because the verb form makes clear who is being addressed.
Parla piano. — Speak quietly.
Prendi un caffè. — Have a coffee.
Andiamo! — Let's go!
Negative Commands and Common Irregular Forms
To tell one person not to do something, Italian uses non + infinitive with informal tu. This is different from affirmative commands, which use the imperative form. For example, parla means speak, but non parlare means don't speak. With noi and voi, negative commands are formed by placing non before the normal imperative form, as in non parliamo (let's not speak) or non parlate (don't speak, plural).
Some very common verbs have irregular imperative forms. The most useful are andare → va' (go), fare → fa' (do, make), dare → da' (give), and stare → sta' (stay). These are informal tu forms and are worth learning individually because they occur frequently in everyday speech. The formal Lei imperative follows a different pattern: regular -are verbs take -i, while –ere and -ire verbs take -a. For example, parli means speak formally, and prenda means take formally. These forms are common in polite requests and instructions. Unlike the informal tu negative, the formal negative imperative uses non followed by the same imperative form, as in non parli (don't speak) or non prenda (don't take).
Non parlare! — Don't speak!
Non correte! — Don't run!
Parli piano, per favore. — Speak quietly, please.
Summary of Regular Imperative Forms
| Verb | Tu (informal) | Noi (let's) | Voi (plural) | Lei (formal) |
| parlare | parla | parliamo | parlate | parli |
| prendere | prendi | prendiamo | prendete | prenda |
| dormire | dormi | dormiamo | dormite | dorma |
| finire | finisci | finiamo | finite | finisca |