Practice: Imperative in German

II. Practical examples - The Imperative

III. Tips & Tricks : How to learn them easily? - The Imperative

B. Imperative - SIE Rules

The separable verbs keep the particle at the end:

Ruf mich an! - Call me!

Some other irregular verbs having umlaut in the present tense, they lose it in the imperative “schlafen - schläfst”

Schlaf nicht! - Don’t sleep!

Some irregular verbs change their stem:

Lies den Text! - Read the text

A. Imperative - DU Rules

The second rule doesn’t apply to the verbs whose stem ends in -d, -t, -m, -n, -ig, -eln, ern, the addition of “-e” makes it easier to pronounce

Öffne das Fenster! - Open the window!

Mr. Puddle: Werden and Wissen for “du”. Good!

Mr. Kitty Hawk: : Danke! I hate it!

Mr. Puddle: Great! The last one: what are the exceptions?

Mr. Kitty Hawk: : “Sein” for all persons “Sei, Seien” and… umm….

Mr. Puddle: “Bitte, bleib ruhig!”, although “Sei ruhig” also has a similar meaning. The next one: what happens with “wir” and “Sie” at imperative?

Mr. Puddle: I hope so! Time for a test. How do you say… “Please, keep calm”

Mr. Kitty Hawk: They change the order exactly as it is in a question: “Sagen Sie etwas!” or “Fangen wir an!”

Mr. Kitty Hawk : Umm.. I guess….”Bitte, sei ruhig”?

Mr. Kitty Hawk: Mr Puddles, this lesson is so easy that i hate it!

Let's check & translate!

Write him an email!

Have a coffee!

Say something!

Take this cat!

Read the book!

Don't drive so much!

Close the door!

Pick me up from there!

Wake up now

Let's make breakfast!

Let's sing this song!

Let us celebrate!

Let's help him!

We give everything!

Let's swim later!

Let's get started!

Let's watch the video

Let's go away!

Work more!

Ask me!

Explain everything to him!

Help us!

Don't argue with him!

Please forget his behavior!

Start!

Open the window!

Bring something!

Please wait!

Are you looking for something else!

Show me the car!

Come here!

Read everything today!

Be quiet!

Imagine!

Call us!

Invite him!

Regular verbs

Irregular verbs

Separable verbs

Du

Schreib ihm eine email!

Trinke einen Kaffee!

Sag etwas!

Nimm diese Katze!

Lies das Buch!

Fahr nicht so viel!

Mach die Tür zu!

Hol mich ab dort!

Wach jetzt auf!

Wir

Machen wir das Frühstück!

Singen wir dieses Lied!

Lass uns feiern!

Helfen wir ihm!

Geben wir alles!

Lass uns später schwimmen!

Fangen wir an!

Schauen wir uns das Video an

Fahren wir weg!

Sie

Arbeiten Sie mehr!

Fragen Sie mich!

Erklären Sie ihm alles!

Helfen Sie uns!

Streiten Sie nicht mit ihm!

Vergessen Sie bitte sein Verhalten!

Fangen Sie an!

Machen Sie das Fenster auf!

Bringen Sie etwas mit!

Ihr

Wartet ihr bitte!

Sucht ihr etwas anderes!

Zeigt mir das Auto!

Kommt hier!

Liest alles heute!

Seid ruhig!

Stellt euch vor!

Ruft uns an!

Ladet ihn ein!

Special Exception: Mall & Bitte

✔️Mal makes a request less informal (cannot be translated)

Schauen Sie mal! - Look!

✔️Bitte means “please”, it’s often used in the imperative because it’s considered rude to use imperative without using “please”

Kommen Sie bitte! - Please, come!

Sein

Werden

Wissen

Du

Sei ruhig!

Werde Arzt!

Wisse, dass (You should know that)

Wir

Seien ruhig

Sie

Seien ruhig

Exceptions

✔️ Sein is different for 1st person plural (wir), 2nd person singular (du) and Sie (polite)

✔️ Werden (to become) and wissen (to know) only for 2nd person singular (du)

*If this table doesn't display right, please turn your phone horrizontaly !

D. Imperative - IHR Rules

You know how to conjugate verbs at the present tense, right? Conjugate a verb in the 2nd person, plural “IHR” by adding -t to the stem, then drop “Ihr” and that’s it!

Esst diesen Kuchen! - Eat this cake!

C. Imperative - WIR Rules

It’s the same rule applied previously: change the order!

Gehen wir ins Kino! - Let’s go to cinema!

It’s often used with “Lassen” similar to the English “Let’s...”, this time the verb is pushed to the end

Lass uns ins Kino gehen! - Let’s go to cinema!

As in English: “du” (you) is dropped and also -st (its termination) is dropped

Nimm das Geld! - Take the money!

Sometimes you can add an -e but it’s optional:

Geh(e) nach Hause! - Go home!

I. Theory and definitions: The Imperative

The Imperative tense in german

*If this table doesn't display right, please turn your phone horrizontaly !

If the table doesn't display right, please turn your phone horrizontaly

*If this table doesn't display right, please turn your phone horrizontaly !

Do you remember how to address a question? It’s the same for imperative: just change the order by putting the verb first and Sie next!

Geben Sie mir das Telefon! - Give me the phone!

*If this table doesn't display right, please turn your phone horrizontaly !

What is a grammar mood? It’s a category of verbs: does the verb express a fact/action? it is indicative (present, past or future tense); or an order? then the verb is imperative! or a question? the verb is in the interrogative mood”

Mrs. Puddles gives a tip!

✔️ Practical examples. After you break-down the sentences and understand better how it works, test your knowledge and try to translate them.

V. Let's practice! - The Imperative

IV. Purrrfection explained! - The Imperative

✔️ The rules are simple: drop -st and du for the 2nd person

✔️ Sie and wir have the same rule: change the order by placing the verb first

✔️ For “ihr” just add -t to the stem (the same rule for present tense) and drop “ihr”

✔️ Don’t forget using “mal” and “bitte” at imperative, so you don’t seem impolite

II. Practical examples - Imperative case in German

You’re too bored of staying at home and you’d like to go for a walk in the nearby park, but you don’t want to be alone, so you call your friends: “Let’s go for a walk! I’m too bored. Get here in 30 minutes, I’m waiting for you!”

This is what we call “the imperative”, which:

✔️ Is a grammar mood of the verb

✔️ It expresses orders, commands or proposals (like the previous example)

✔️ Both languages, English and German, use the imperative a lot

We use the imperative for: