The irregular imperative

What you’re learning here: the imperative for common irregular verbs

You use the imperative to give direct instructions: in a meeting, at work, or in everyday situations.

• tu = tell one person you know well (colleague you’re on first-name terms with).
• noi = “let’s …” (inclusive instruction).
• voi = tell a group / multiple people.

The key forms (and why they look “strange”)

These verbs are irregular in the imperative. Memorise them as ready-to-use command forms.

Va’/Vai, Fa’/Fai, Da’/Dai, Sta’/Stai: choosing the right one

For tu, you often see two forms:

• Short form with apostrophe: va’, fa’, da’, sta’
• Full form ending in -i: vai, fai, dai, stai

Practical rule used in this book:

• Before a word starting with a consonant → prefer va’, fa’, da’, sta’.
• Before a word starting with a vowel → use the -i form: vai, fai, dai, stai.

Don’t confuse the apostrophe with the accent (common mistake)

In writing, learners often mix up these two:

• Imperative short form uses an apostrophe: fa’, da’, va’, sta’.
• Wrong in this context: fà, dà, và, stà (accent) — avoid these.

Tip: if you mean “Do!/Give!/Go!/Stay!” and it’s short, you almost always want the apostrophe.

Dire in the imperative: why it’s just “Dì”

dire (tu) is special: the imperative is Dì (with accent).

• Dì la verità. = Tell the truth.
• Dì pure. = Go ahead (tell me).

There is no “di’” with apostrophe here for dire.

Also irregular: essere and avere (the ones you’ll hear a lot)

These two are irregular in the imperative, too (especially in workplace language).

Self-check: can you build the command correctly?

1. Who am I talking to? tu / noi / voi
2. Is the verb one of the irregular ones in the table?
3. If it’s andare/fare/dare/stare with tu: check the next word (consonant → apostrophe form; vowel → -i form).
4. Check spelling: apostrophe (fa’, da’, va’, sta’) vs accent (only Dì here).

Mini models for professional contexts (ready to reuse)

• Va’ in ufficio subito. / Vai avanti.
• Fa’ una sintesi del report. / Fai attenzione ai dettagli.
• Da’ un’occhiata a questo documento. / Dai una mano al nuovo collega.
• Sta’ calmo. / Stai attento con questi dati.
• Dì la verità al cliente.
• Andiamo a parlare con il responsabile. / Facciamo così.