📘 Grammatik · Unit 15 · 1/10
Imperativ
3 parts6 examples3 common mistakes
Example
- Sprich bitte langsamer!Please speak more slowly!sprechen → sprich
Rule
With the imperative you make a request or give an instruction. There are three forms: for
du, for ihr and the polite one for Sie.Practise
This topic’s own test: 10 sets, 10 questions in each.Grammatik-Test →
The three forms
With du the pronoun drops and the ending -st disappears. With Sie the pronoun stays and moves behind the verb.
| Infinitiv | du | ihr | Sie |
|---|---|---|---|
| kommen | Komm! | Kommt! | Kommen Sie! |
| warten | Warte! | Wartet! | Warten Sie! |
| geben | Gib! | Gebt! | Geben Sie! |
| nehmen | Nimm! | Nehmt! | Nehmen Sie! |
| sein | Sei! | Seid! | Seien Sie! |
Vowel change stays, umlaut does not
Verbs with e → i keep the change in the imperative. Verbs with a → ä lose the umlaut again.
- Sprich bitte langsamer!Please speak more slowly!sprechen → sprich
- Lies den Text!Read the text!lesen → lies
- Fahr vorsichtig!Drive carefully!fahren → fahr, kein Umlaut
Sounding polite
A bare imperative quickly seems abrupt. bitte and mal make it friendly — in everyday life they are almost a must.
- Kommen Sie bitte um zehn Uhr.Please come at ten o'clock.
- Warte mal kurz!Wait a moment!
- Machen Sie bitte das Fenster zu.Please close the window.trennbares Verb
Common mistakes
Du komm bitte!
Komm bitte!
In the
du form the pronoun drops.
Kommen bitte um zehn.
Kommen Sie bitte um zehn.
In the polite form
Sie must stay.
Fährst vorsichtig!
Fahr vorsichtig!
The imperative has no
-st ending.Quick check · 3 questions
Got the rule? Try three questions; the full test is below.
Where you stand on this topic
- Studied
- Succeeding
- Sticking
Your turn: write a sentence with this topic
The assistant corrects it and explains why. It’s a suggestion; if unsure, check the rule above.
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Done! 🎉 Unit 15 · 1/10
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