Word order in the imperative

What you are doing: giving an instruction (imperative)

In Dutch, an instruction usually has a very simple shape:

• Stuur het verslag vandaag.
• Werk samen.
• Ga even naar binnen.

Key idea: Dutch imperative = verb first. Not “You + verb”.

Subject: when it disappears (jij/je) and when it must be there (u/jullie)

• Jij stuur me het bestand. (sounds like a normal statement, not an instruction)
• Stuur me u het bestand. (wrong position: u must be directly after the verb)

Negative instructions: where “niet” and “geen” go

In negative imperatives, you keep verb first, and you put niet/geen early:

Verb + (subject) + niet/geen + rest

• Niet praat door elkaar. → wrong: don’t start with niet
• Neem koffie niet mee. → unnatural: niet should come earlier

The verb form: no -t in the imperative (also with u)

In the imperative, you use the stem (the basic form without -t):

• werken → Werk!
• sturen → Stuur!
• maken → Maak!

Important for polite instructions:

• Stuur u me de planning. (imperative: stuur)
• Stuurt u me de planning. (this is not the imperative form)

Self-check: a quick 3-step test before you submit an answer

1. Verb first? If not, fix that first.
2. Who is the listener?
   • jij/je: subject usually not written
   • u/jullie: subject must be in position 2
3. Negative?
   • Action/adverb → use niet early
   • Noun (“any coffee / any mistakes”) → use geen

Goal: short, clear, professional instructions that sound natural in a workplace context.