Discover the irregular imperative forms of key Italian verbs like andare (vai/va'), fare (fai/fa'), dare (dai/da'), stare (stai/sta'), and dire (dì), including essential rules for their correct usage before vowels or consonants.
| Persona / Verbo (Person / Verb) | Andare (To go) | Fare (Do) | Dare (Give) | Stare (Stay) | Dire (Say) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Tu (You) | Va’ / Vai! (Go!) | Fa’ / Fai! (Do!) | Da’ / Dai! (Give!) | Sta’ / Stai! (Stay!) | Dì’! (Say!) |
| Noi (We) | Andiamo! (Let's go!) | Facciamo! (Let's do!) | Diamo! (Let's give!) | Stiamo! (Let's stay!) | Diciamo! (Let's say!) |
| Voi (You) | Andate! (Go (plural)!) | Fate! (Do!) | Date! (Give!) | State! (Stay!) | Dite! (Say!) |
Exceptions!
- The verbs essere and avere are also irregular in the imperative in the forms tu, noi, and voi: sii!, siamo!, siate! (essere); abbi!, abbiamo!, abbiate! (avere).
- 'Va', da', fa', sta' are used when the following word starts with a consonant. When the next word starts with a vowel, an "i" is added to the end of the verb: "fa' così" -> "fai attenzione".
Exercise 1: L'imperativo irregolare
Instruction: Fill in the correct word.
Stai, diamo, Fai, facciamo, Abbiate, Va', sii, Sappi
1.
Stare, tu:
... attento, sto dicendo cose molto importanti.
(Be careful, I am saying very important things.)
2.
Dare, noi:
Ragazzi, ... una mano all'altro team.
(Guys, let's help the other team.)
3.
Avere, voi:
... rispetto delle idee degli altri.
(Respect the ideas of others.)
4.
Fare, noi:
Ragazzi, ... il possibile per supportarci.
(Guys, let's do our best to support each other.)
5.
Essere, tu:
Per favore, ... collaborativo.
(Please be cooperative.)
6.
Fare, tu:
... attenzione! Per favore.
(Be careful! Please.)
7.
Andare, tu:
... dal tuo collega e risolvete il problema.
(Go to your colleague and solve the problem.)
8.
Sapere, tu:
... ascoltare, perché la comunicazione è fondamentale.
(Know how to listen, because communication is fundamental.)
Exercise 2: Multiple Choice
Instruction: Choose the correct sentence among the three proposed that contains the irregular imperative used correctly. Be careful of common mistakes such as the incorrect use of the forms "va'", "da'", "fa'", "sta'", or the missing addition of the "i" when the verb is followed by a vowel.
1.
"Va'" is used before a word that starts with a consonant, while "in" starts with a vowel, so here you must use "vai".
"Va" without apostrophe is not correct as an imperative; the correct imperative is "va'" or "vai".
2.
The form "fa'" is used only before words that start with a consonant, so here it is incorrect because "attenzione" starts with a vowel.
The apostrophe is missing in "fa'", so the form is incorrect.
3.
"Dà" with accent is indicative, not imperative; the correct imperative form is "da'" without accent.
"Dai" is used when the following word starts with a vowel. Here "il" starts with a consonant, so you must use "da'".
4.
There is a missing "i" in "sii", so the form is wrong.
"Sei" is present indicative, not imperative, so it is wrong for a command.
