The irregular imperative

Irregular imperatives: what is special here?

• In Italian, the informal imperative (for tu, noi, voi) is mostly regular.
• A few very common verbs are irregular:
  • andare – to go
  • fare – to do / to make
  • dare – to give
  • stare – to stay / to be
  • dire – to say
  • essere – to be
  • avere – to have
• These verbs are irregular mainly in the form for tu.
• For noi and voi they are usually the same as the present tense.

Goal: after this explanation you should know exactly which forms to use, and when to choose va' or vai, fa' or fai, etc.

Step 1 – Overview of the irregular forms (tu / noi / voi)

• For noi and voi you can usually think: “same as the present tense”.
• For tu you need to memorise the special forms.

Step 2 – The two forms for tu: with apostrophe or with -i?

For four verbs you see two options for tu:

• va' / vai
• fa' / fai
• da' / dai
• sta' / stai

The book gives this practical rule:

• Use the short form with apostrophe (va', fa', da', sta') when the next word begins with a consonant.
• Use the full form with -i (vai, fai, dai, stai) when the next word begins with a vowel.

Important for this course: follow this vowel/consonant rule. It will help you avoid typical spelling mistakes in tests and exercises.

Step 3 – Typical mistakes and how to avoid them

• Apostrophe vs. accent: "da'" not "dà"
  • Da' = imperative of dare (Give!)
    Da' il file al capo. – Give the file to the boss.
  • Dà = present tense (he/she gives) → not used for orders.
    Dà il file al capo!
• "Va" without apostrophe is not an imperative
  • Va in ufficio! → the course considers this wrong.
  • Use va' or vai instead.
• Do not confuse indicative and imperative
  • Sei = you are (present), not a command.
    Sei puntuale domani!
  • Sii = Be! (imperative).
    Sii puntuale domani.
• Do not forget the "i" in "sii"
  • Si calmo. → incorrect.
  • Sii calmo. → correct.
• Do not drop the apostrophe in "fa'", "va'", "da'", "sta'"
  • Fa attenzione → should be Fa' or Fai depending on the next word.

Step 4 – Essere and avere: special but limited use

Essere (to be):

• tu: sii
• noi: siamo
• voi: siate

Typical phrases:

• Sii paziente. – Be patient.
• Siamo puntuali. – Let’s be on time.
• Siate gentili con i clienti. – Be kind to the clients.

Avere (to have) is mainly used in polite, more formal instructions:

• tu: abbi
• noi: abbiamo
• voi: abbiate

Common in professional or written language:

• Abbi pazienza. – Have patience.
• Abbiamo fiducia nel team. – Let’s have trust in the team.
• Abbiate cura dei documenti. – Take care of the documents.

In everyday informal speech people often prefer verbs like stare or other expressions instead of abbi. But for the exam and exercises, you need to recognise and use these forms.

Step 5 – Practical mini-rules you can memorise

• Andare (tu): before a consonant → va'; before a vowel → vai.
  • Va' a casa.
  • Vai in ufficio.
• Fare (tu): consonant → fa'; vowel → fai.
  • Fa' il report.
  • Fai attenzione.
• Dare (tu): consonant → da'; vowel → dai.
  • Da' il documento.
  • Dai una risposta.
• Stare (tu): consonant → sta'; vowel → stai.
  • Sta' calmo.
  • Stai attento.
• Dire (tu): only one form: dì.
  • Dì la verità. – Tell the truth.

For noi and voi, think:

• "I speak" (parlo) → "Let’s speak" (parliamo), "Speak (you all)" (parlate).
• So: present tense minus -o + normal endings. The irregular verbs follow the same idea in noi and voi.

Step 6 – Self-check: can you do this without help?

Read each point and check if you can answer in your head.

1. Can you say which verbs have two forms for "tu"?
   • Answer in your head: andare, fare, dare, stare.
2. Can you explain the rule with vowels and consonants?
   • If the next word starts with a consonant → short form with apostrophe (va', fa', da', sta').
   • If it starts with a vowel → full form with -i (vai, fai, dai, stai).
3. Do you remember the imperative forms of "essere"?
   • sii, siamo, siate.
4. Do you remember the imperative forms of "avere"?
   • abbi, abbiamo, abbiate.
5. Can you avoid the classic mistakes?
   • No va instead of va' / vai.
   • No dà instead of da'.
   • No sei instead of sii for an order.
   • No si instead of sii.

If you can mentally answer these points, you are ready to focus on speaking practice and using these forms in conversation.

Step 7 – What to pay attention to in real use

• In spoken Italian you will often hear both options:
  • Va' a casa and Vai a casa.
  • Fa' attenzione and Fai attenzione.
• For your level and this course:
  • Follow the course rule (consonant = short form, vowel = form with -i).
  • Focus on clear, polite instructions in work and daily contexts.
• When you are unsure in conversation:
  • Use the -i form (vai, fai, dai, stai). It is always understood and common.

With these rules and examples, you can now study and prepare independently. In class you can then concentrate on using the forms in realistic dialogues rather than asking about the rules again.