How do you form the German imperative?

Take the present-tense form of the verb for the relevant pronoun, drop the pronoun, and for du drop the final -st. The result: du kommst → Komm!, ihr kommt → Kommt!, Sie kommen → Kommen Sie!, wir kommen → Kommen wir!. The one true irregular is sein: Sei! / Seid! / Seien Sie! / Seien wir!. All other imperative forms follow this rule mechanically — there is only one irregular to memorise.

What is the du-imperative and how is it formed?

Drop the pronoun du and the -st ending from the present-tense du-form: du lernst → Lern!, du kaufst → Kauf!, du machst → Mach!. For verbs whose stem ends in -t, -d, or a difficult consonant cluster, a supporting -e is inserted: du arbeitest → Arbeite!, du öffnest → Öffne!. The -e suffix is also acceptable in formal or written register for most verbs (komme!, fahre!), but in everyday speech the bare stem is the norm.

Do you keep stem-vowel changes in the du-imperative?

It depends on the change type — and this asymmetry is the most common A2 error. Verbs with an e→i or e→ie change in the present-tense du/er form keep that change in the du-imperative: nehmen → Nimm!, lesen → Lies!, geben → Gib!, sprechen → Sprich!, sehen → Sieh!. Verbs with an a→ä umlaut change do NOT carry the umlaut into the imperative: fahren → Fahr! (not *Fähr!), tragen → Trag!, schlafen → Schlaf!. The rule: keep e→i/ie changes; drop a→ä changes.

What is the irregular imperative for sein?

sein is the only verb with truly irregular imperative forms across all four persons: du → Sei!, ihr → Seid!, Sie → Seien Sie!, wir → Seien wir!. No other common verb shares this irregularity — all stem-vowel-changing verbs follow the predictable e→i/e→ie or a→ä sub-rules rather than having unique forms. Memorise sei/seid/seien as the one exception.

Where does the prefix go in a separable-verb command?

The prefix moves to the end of the clause, exactly as in the Satzklammer pattern for finite main clauses: aufstehen → Steh auf!, ausmachen → Mach das Licht aus!, aufpassen → Pass auf!. The prefix never stays attached to the verb in an imperative. This is the same verb-bracket behaviour as a modal with an infinitive or a Perfekt auxiliary with Partizip II — the same Satzklammer rule, not a new phenomenon.

How do Germans soften commands with particles?

Bare imperatives are grammatically correct but can sound blunt in everyday speech. Native speakers routinely add one or two particles: mal makes the request casual ("Ruf mal an!" — just give me a call); doch adds a nudge or mild impatience ("Komm doch rein!" — come in, will you); bitte is the neutral politeness marker ("Schreib bitte deinen Namen."); eben/halt signal inevitability or resignation ("Mach es halt." — just do it, then). Particles can combine: "Hör doch mal zu!". Omitting all particles in most registers marks a speaker as non-native.

When should I use du-imperative versus Sie-imperative?

The choice mirrors the T/V register distinction (duzen vs siezen). Use du-imperative with friends, family, children under 15, and peers in informal settings. Use Sie-imperative with strangers, colleagues in formal workplaces, service staff, and officials: "Bitte nehmen Sie Platz." Note that many German companies and hospitality contexts have shifted to du as the default — when in doubt, follow the cue the other person uses first.

What is the wir-imperative and when is it used?

The wir-imperative (Kommen wir!, Gehen wir!, Fangen wir an!) translates to "let's …" and functions as a softer group suggestion rather than a direct command — the speaker includes themselves in the action. The structure is identical to an inverted yes/no question: verb first, then wir. In formal contexts it competes with "Lassen Sie uns …" (the Sie-register equivalent of "let's"), but in everyday speech "Gehen wir!" is natural and common.

Three audiences, three forms. One rule.

German commands adapt to who you're speaking to — du, ihr, or Sie — but all four imperative forms (including the wir 'let's' form) derive from the same present-tense base. Master that derivation and you also need to soften those commands: bare imperatives can sound blunt in everyday German speech.

TL;DR

One rule: take the present-tense form, drop the pronoun, drop -st for du. One irregular: sein → Sei! / Seid! / Seien Sie! / Seien wir! Stem-vowel asymmetry: e→i/ie changes stay in the du-imperative (Nimm! Lies!); a→ä changes do NOT (Fahr! not *Fähr!). Softening: add mal, doch, or bitte — bare imperatives are technically correct but sound harsh without them.

Four forms, one derivation

German reflects its politeness system in the imperative: there is a different command form for each register. The du-imperative is for friends, family, and people you address informally. The ihr-imperative addresses a group informally. The Sie-imperative is used with strangers, officials, and in formal workplaces. And the wir-imperative ("let's …") invites the speaker's own group to do something together. If you need a refresher on the du/Sie distinction, see German pronouns.

All four forms share a single derivation rule: start with the present-tense conjugation, drop the pronoun. For du, also drop the -st ending. For Sie and wir, keep the pronoun — it inverts to second position. The only verb that breaks this pattern completely is sein — its du-form is Sei!, not *Ist! or *Sein!. Everything else is the rule.

The imperative at a glance

TABLE

Four forms, one rule — with two sub-rules for stem-vowel verbs

Person	machen regular	nehmen e→i (keep)	fahren a→ä (drop)	sein irregular
du informal sg.	Mach!	Nimm!	Fahr!	Sei!
ihr informal pl.	Macht!	Nehmt!	Fahrt!	Seid!
Sie formal	Machen Sie!	Nehmen Sie!	Fahren Sie!	Seien Sie!
wir let's …	Machen wir!	Nehmen wir!	Fahren wir!	Seien wir!

machen (regular) · nehmen (e→i) · fahren (a→ä) · sein (irregular)

The derivation rule, step by step

Using machen as the worked example, here is how each form is derived from the present tense:

du — informal singular

du machtst → drop pronoun + -st → Mach!

Bare stem. No ending. No pronoun.

ihr — informal plural

ihr macht → drop pronoun → Macht!

Same form as the ihr-conjugation. Nothing else changes.

Sie — formal (sg. + pl.)

Sie machen → invert order → Machen Sie!

Verb moves to position 1; Sie stays — same inversion as a yes/no question.

wir — inclusive "let's"

wir machen → invert order → Machen wir!

Verb first, wir second. Softer than a direct command.

The rule in one sentence: take the present-tense conjugation, drop the pronoun (except Sie/wir, which keep theirs and invert), and for du also drop -st.

The only exception: sein → Sei! (not *Bist!). No other verb has a genuinely unpredictable imperative form — stem-vowel verbs follow their own sub-rules (below), but those sub-rules are regular.

Stem-vowel changes: keep or drop?

This asymmetry is the most common A2 error. The rule splits cleanly into two sub-rules:

e→i / e→ie Keep the change

If the present-tense du/er form has an e→i or e→ie vowel change, the du-imperative keeps that vowel — the stem-changed form already carries the imperative's meaning.

Infinitive	du present	du imperative
nehmen	du nimmst	Nimm!
lesen	du liest	Lies!
geben	du gibst	Gib!
sprechen	du sprichst	Sprich!
sehen	du siehst	Sieh!
essen	du isst	Iss!

a→ä Drop the umlaut

Verbs with an a→ä umlaut in the present tense do not carry the umlaut into the imperative. Learners who see fährt and form *Fähr! by analogy are making this exact mistake.

Infinitive	du present	du imperative
fahren	du fährst	Fahr! *Fähr!
tragen	du trägst	Trag! *Träg!
schlafen	du schläfst	Schlaf! *Schläf!

Fahr! not *Fähr! — the umlaut does not survive into the imperative.

sein, haben, werden — irregular imperatives

sein is the only verb with a fully unpredictable imperative. haben and werden follow the regular rule but are used constantly enough to warrant explicit memorisation.

Irregular imperative forms

TABLE

Person	sein	haben	werden
du informal sg.	Sei!	Hab!	Werde!
ihr informal pl.	Seid!	Habt!	Werdet!
Sie formal	Seien Sie!	Haben Sie!	Werden Sie!
wir let's …	Seien wir!	Haben wir!	Werden wir!

sein is the only true irregular — haben and werden follow the standard rule

sein is irregular because the stem of the imperative (sei-) is not predictable from the infinitive or present tense (ist). haben and werden follow the rule mechanically: du hast → Hab!, du wirst → Werde! (the -e is retained because the stem ends in a difficult cluster).

Separable verbs: the Satzklammer in commands

Separable-prefix verbs split in the imperative exactly as they do in any main clause — the prefix goes to the end. This is the same Satzklammer (sentence bracket) rule that applies with modals and in Perfekt. It is not a special imperative rule; it is the same rule in a new context. See prefix verbs for the full treatment.

aufstehen

Steh auf! / Steht auf!

"Stand up!" — prefix auf at clause-end

ausmachen

Mach das Licht aus! / Macht das Licht aus!

"Turn off the light!" — object stays between verb and prefix

aufpassen

Pass auf! / Passt auf!

"Pay attention!" — prefix at end, no object

anrufen

Ruf mich an! / Ruft mich an!

"Call me!" — object between verb and prefix

The bracket: the verb occupies position 1; the prefix sits at clause-end. Any object or adverb goes between them — "Mach das Licht aus!" not "*Mach aus das Licht!".

Softening particles: how native speakers temper commands

A bare imperative is grammatically correct. In most real-life contexts, however, it sounds blunt or even rude — native German speakers almost always add at least one particle to soften the command and signal register. Omitting all particles marks a speaker as non-native in most situations. For the full treatment of all particles, see modal particles.

mal casual, "just for a moment"

Ruf mal an! "Just give me a call."

Schauen Sie mal hier. "Just take a look here."

doch nudging, slight impatience or invitation

Komm doch rein! "Come in, will you!"

Setzen Sie sich doch. "Do sit down."

bitte neutral politeness ("please")

Schreib bitte deinen Namen. "Please write your name."

Bitte nehmen Sie Platz. "Please take a seat."

eben / halt resignation, inevitability ("just … then")

Mach es halt. "Just do it, then."

Dann gehen wir eben. "Well, let's just go then."

Combining particles: two particles can co-occur and each retains its meaning. "Hör doch mal zu!" — doch nudges, mal softens. Acceptable combinations include doch mal, doch bitte, and schon mal. Stacking eben + halt is redundant (they mean the same thing).

Register: du/ihr vs. Sie

du/ihr vs. Sie imperative

The imperative register mirrors the T/V distinction — use the same form you'd use to address that person normally.

du / ihr informal register

Friends, family, children under 15, peers

Komm rein! / Kommt rein!

"Come in!" — to a friend / to a group of friends.

Sie formal register

Strangers, formal workplaces, officials, service staff

Bitte kommen Sie herein.

"Please come in." — to a stranger or colleague you address formally.

Many modern German companies and hospitality contexts default to du. When in doubt, follow the cue the other person uses first — if they use du, you can too.

The wir-imperative: "Let's …"

The wir-imperative is not a command — it is an inclusive suggestion. The speaker is part of the group being invited to act. The structure is identical to a yes/no question in German (V1 + wir), with the difference being prosody and the exclamation mark.

Gehen wir! "Let's go!"

Fangen wir an! "Let's begin!" (anfangen — separable)

Machen wir eine Pause! "Let's take a break!"

Seien wir ehrlich. "Let's be honest." (sein — irregular)

The formal equivalent in the Sie register is Lassen Sie uns … + infinitive: "Lassen Sie uns anfangen." In everyday speech, Gehen wir! sounds natural with both friends and in moderately formal situations.

5 mistakes to avoid

Fahr!

*Fähr! → Fahr!

a→ä umlaut changes are NOT carried into the du-imperative. Drop the umlaut: fahren → Fahr!

Steh auf!

*Aufsteh! → Steh auf!

Separable-verb prefix splits to the end of the clause, exactly as in any main clause.

Nimm!

*Nehm! → Nimm!

e→i changes ARE kept in the du-imperative. nehmen (du nimmst) → Nimm!, not *Nehm!

Sei!

*Sein! → Sei!

sein is the one truly irregular imperative. The du-form is Sei!, not the infinitive.

Fahr! / Fahrt! / Fahren Sie!

Using *Fahren! as a spoken command → Fahr! / Fahrt! / Fahren Sie!

The infinitive as command is only acceptable in written instructions (recipes, safety signs). In face-to-face speech, use the proper imperative form.