The imperative

What is the informal imperative in Italian?

• Use the imperativo informale to give instructions, advice, invitations to people you know well.
• In this unit you need only: tu, noi, voi.
• You already know these forms from the present tense. The imperative is mostly the same shape as the present.

Think: “How do I say ‘you speak / we speak / you (plural) speak’ in the present?” → then adjust slightly for the imperative.

Key forms at a glance (regular verbs)

• tu:
  • -are verbs: use the 3rd person singular of the present → parla.
  • -ere / -ire verbs: use the 2nd person singular of the present → scrivi, apri.
• noi / voi:
  • use the same form as present tense → parliamo, parlate, scriviamo etc.

How to build the forms step by step

1. Start from the present tense
   • tu parli, noi parliamo, voi parlate
   • tu scrivi, noi scriviamo, voi scrivete
   • tu apri, noi apriamo, voi aprite
2. Change only the tu of -are verbs
   • tu parli → parla!
   • tu parla is wrong as a present form, but correct as imperative.
3. Do not change tu of -ere / -ire verbs
   • tu scrivi → scrivi!
   • tu apri → apri!
4. Keep noi and voi exactly as in the present
   • noi parliamo → parliamo! (Let’s speak!)
   • voi scrivete → scrivete! (You all write!)

Mini-check: Can you go from tu lavori / noi lavoriamo / voi lavorate to the imperatives? → lavora! / lavoriamo! / lavorate!

Typical mistakes to avoid

• 1. Using the wrong form for tu with -are verbs
  • Correct: Parla più lentamente. (Speak more slowly.)
  • Wrong: Parli più lentamente. (sounds like subjunctive / polite form)
• 2. Mixing up tu and voi
  • For one person: Apri il file. (Open the file.)
  • For several people: Aprite il file. (You all open the file.)
• 3. Using the indicative instead of the imperative
  • Command/advice: Scrivi una mail al cliente. (Write an email.)
  • Just a fact: Tu scrivi una mail al cliente. (You write an email.)
  • In speech, Italians often drop tu in the imperative.

Irregular verbs you must know

These verbs are frequent in work and everyday communication. Learn them as a block.

• essere
  • Sii puntuale alla riunione. (Be punctual.)
  • Not: Sei puntuale alla riunione when you want to give an instruction.
• avere
  • Abbi pazienza con i nuovi colleghi. (Have patience.)
• dire
  • Di' sempre la verità al cliente. (Always tell the truth.)
  • Notice the apostrophe in di'.

Imperative with noi: “Let’s …”

• Use noi imperative to make a joint proposal → “Let’s …”.
• Form: exactly the noi present tense.

• Scriviamo una mail al direttore adesso. (Let’s write an email to the director now.)
• Mostriamo la nostra esperienza. (Let’s show our experience.)
• Abbiamo pazienza con i nuovi colleghi. (Let’s have patience.)

Tip: in English you add “let’s”; in Italian you usually do not add anything, the noi form alone expresses the invitation.

How strong or polite is the imperative?

• The same form can sound soft or strong depending on intonation and context.
• Add polite words to sound professional:
  • per favore (please)
  • per cortesia (please, more formal)
  • un momento (just a moment)

• Chiudi la porta. (Neutral / could be direct.)
• Chiudi la porta, per favore. (Polite.)
• Ragazzi, ascoltate bene le istruzioni. (Friendly but clear.)

At work, combine imperative + polite word to keep the right tone.

Quick self-check: can you do this?

1. Form the tu imperative
   • From tu parli → Parla!
   • From tu scrivi → Scrivi!
   • From tu apri → Apri!
2. Form the noi and voi imperative
   • noi controlliamo → Controlliamo!
   • voi controllate → Controllate!
3. Use the irregulars correctly
   • How do you say “Be punctual!” to one friend? → Sii puntuale!
   • How do you say “Let’s have patience”? → Abbiamo pazienza!
   • How do you say “Tell the truth (you all)!”? → Dite la verità!

If you can answer these without checking, you are ready to use the informal imperative in conversation and focus on fluency in class.