The moment you board your plane to Italy and hear allacciate le cinture (fasten your seatbelts), you’re already hearing the Italian imperative (imperativo).
Just like in English, this verb form is used in all kinds of situations in Italian, from common phrases like Aspetta un attimo! (wait a second) and Vieni qui! (come here), to suggestions like Prendiamo un gelato! (let’s get a gelato).
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What is the Italian imperative (imperativo)?
The Italian imperative (imperativo) is the verb form Italians use to give commands, instructions, advice, or requests.
You may come across the term “Italian imperative tense,” but technically, the imperative is a mood. The difference is simple: A verb tense deals with time (past, present, and future), while a verb mood is a broader grammatical category that reflects the speaker’s intention (giving orders, stating facts, expressing doubt, and so on) and can include different tenses.
When to use the imperative in Italian
The idea of the imperative might make you think it’s all about giving orders. Sometimes it is, but much more often, Italians use it for suggestions, requests, directions, and everyday conversations. So, learning when to use it is just as important as learning how to conjugate it.
Giving direct commands and instructions
This is the most straightforward use of the imperative: Telling someone exactly what to do, right now.
In these situations, tone makes all the difference. The imperative can sound like a strict order, a helpful instruction, or friendly advice, depending on who’s speaking and the context.
You might hear it from a parent telling their child what to do, a local giving you directions to Pisa’s Piazza dei Miracoli, or a lovely nonna (grandma) sharing her secret cake recipe.
- Vieni qui subito! = Come here immediately!
- Favorisca il passaporto/i documenti. = (Please) show your passport/ID. (passport control or checkpoint: It may sound harsh, but it’s usually neutral)
- Controlla le email prima della riunione. = Check your email before the meeting.
- Prosegui dritto, poi gira a destra. = Continue straight, then turn right.
- Aggiungi la farina e cuoci in forno per 25 minuti. = Add the flour and bake for 25 minutes.
Making suggestions
This verb form isn’t always for commands. You can also use it to make suggestions, encourage someone, or invite people to do something together.
- Facciamo una pausa! = Let’s take a break!
- Divertitevi stasera! = Have fun tonight!
- Prova questa pizza: è buonissima! = Try this pizza, it’s amazing!
This use is also very common in advertising and shop promotions.
- Prendi 3, paga 2! = Buy 3, pay only 2!
- Richiedi il tuo campione gratuito! = Get your free sample!
Making requests
Requests are where tone matters most, as the risk of sounding a bit rude is high. With family, friends, or in other informal situations, it’s perfectly natural to say:
- Fammi sapere quando arrivi. = Let me know when you arrive.
- Chiamami appena puoi. = Call me as soon as you can.
- Dimmi./Mi dica. (informal/formal) = Tell me. (at the bar counter, in a doctor’s office, or as a reply to Scusa/Mi scusi, posso farti/farle una domanda? = Excuse me, can I ask you a question?)
In more formal situations, you can soften the imperative with expressions such as per favore or other ways to say “please” in Italian.
- Passami il sale, per favore. = Pass me the salt, please.
- Spegnete i cellulari, per cortesia. = Please, turn off your phones.
- Per piacere, invia il report prima di pranzo. = Please, send the report before lunch.
Cultural note: Using the imperative when ordering a coffee or food in Italy can sound quite rude, even if you say “please.” Use expressions like vorrei (I would like) or Posso avere…per favore (Can I have…please) instead.
How to form the Italian imperative
Now that you know when it’s appropriate to use the imperativo, there are two rules to remember that will help you build it correctly.
The imperative only has four forms
Since you can only give orders directly to someone or a group of people, when conjugating the imperative, you only need four subject pronouns: The three forms of “you” in Italian (formal, informal, and plural), and noi (we).
The pronouns io (I), lui/lei (he/she), and loro (they) don’t have an imperative form.
| Pronoun | Italian Example | English |
| tu you (informal) | Mangia, prima che si raffreddi! | Eat before it gets cold! |
| Lei you (formal) | Mangi, prima che si raffreddi! | Eat before it gets cold! |
| noi we | Mangiamo, prima che si raffreddi! | Let’s eat before it gets cold! |
| voi you (plural) | Mangiate, prima che si raffreddi! | Eat before it gets cold! |
English uses one verb form, while Italian changes it depending on the subject pronoun. That’s why you normally leave out the subject pronoun when using the imperativo: The verb ending already tells you who needs to do the action. Use the pronoun only when you want to add emphasis:
- Tu aspetta qui. Gli altri possono entrare. = You wait here. The others can come in.
- Lei scenda alla prossima fermata. Voi proseguite fino a Roma Termini. = You get off at the next stop. The rest of you continue to Roma Termini.
The imperative has only one tense
Remember when we said the imperative is a mood, not a tense? One reason people sometimes call it the “Italian imperative tense” is that it can only be used in the present tense.
That’s because commands and requests are normally given in the present moment (even if the action will happen a little later).
- Andate (subito) a dormire! = Go to bed (right now)!
- Chiama il cliente domani mattina appena arrivi. = Call the client tomorrow morning as soon as you arrive.
Conjugating regular verbs in the Italian imperative
With just one tense and four subject pronouns, the Italian imperative is fairly easy to conjugate.
Regular verbs only change their endings, and the pattern is the same for all verbs in each of the three conjugation groups:
- -ARE verbs, like parlare
- -ERE verbs, like scrivere
- -IRE verbs, like dormire
Italian imperative mood – regular verbs
| Pronoun | Parlare (to speak) | Scrivere (to write) | Dormire (to sleep) |
| tu you (informal) | Parla! | Scrivi! | Dormi! |
| Lei you (formal) | Parli! | Scriva! | Dorma! |
| noi we | Parliamo! | Scriviamo! | Dormiamo! |
| voi you (plural) | Parlate! | Scrivete! | Dormite! |
Here’s the good news: For most regular verbs, the imperative looks exactly like the simple present indicative, which is one of the first Italian verb tenses you learn. The only exceptions are tu and Lei (informal and formal “you”) with the -ARE verbs.
Compare these forms:
- Tu parli. (simple present) vs. Parla! (present imperative)
- Lei parla. (simple present) vs. Parli! (present imperative)
Conjugating irregular verbs in the Italian imperative
Not all verbs are irregular in the imperative in the same way. The verbs below have some special features worth learning, but as your vocabulary grows, you’ll naturally come across other Italian verbs with different patterns.
Essere (to be) and avere (to have) in the imperative
Essere (to be) and avere (to have) have a unique form for tu in the imperative that you won’t find in any other verb tense. The other pronouns follow the pattern of the present subjunctive*.
| Pronoun | Essere (to be) | Avere (to have) |
| tu you (informal) | sii | abbi |
| Lei you (formal) | sia | abbia |
| noi we | siamo (rarely used) | abbiamo (rarely used) |
| voi you (plural) | siate | abbiate |
These two verbs show up constantly in set phrases and everyday expressions like:
- Sii sincero! = Be honest!
- Abbi cura di te. = Take care of yourself.
- Sia gentile, lasci passare. = Be kind, let them through.
- Abbiate un po’ di pazienza! = Have a little patience!
*You may not have learned the Italian subjunctive mood yet, since it’s an intermediate-advanced topic. But knowing these similarities between tenses can make these forms easier to remember later on.
Sapere (to know) in the imperative
The verb sapere (to know) follows the same irregular pattern of essere and avere in the imperative.
| Pronoun | Sapere (to know) |
| tu you (informal) | sappi |
| Lei you formal) | sappia |
| noi we | sappiamo (rarely used) |
| voi you (plural) | sappiate |
A special thing about sapere in the imperative is that it’s almost always followed by the Italian conjunction che (that) to introduce a subordinate clause:
- Sappi che sarai sempre nel mio cuore. = Know that you’ll always be in my heart.
- Sappiate che le regole valgono per tutti! = Know that the rules apply to everyone!
Verbs with two imperative forms
Five very common Italian verbs can have a particular form of the imperative for the pronoun tu, that drops the final vowel and replaces it with an apostrophe.
Among them are andare (to go), dare (to give), fare (to do), and stare (to stay), which allow a double imperative form. Both are correct, even though the form with an apostrophe is more common in informal conversations.
| Andare (to go) | Dare (to give) | Fare (to do) | Stare (to stay) |
| vai/va’ | dai/da’ | fai/fa’ | stai/sta’ |
| vada | dia | faccia | stia |
| andiamo | diamo | facciamo | stiamo |
| andate | date | fate | state |
The fifth verb, dire (to say), belongs to this group, but unlike the others, it only has the apostrophe form in the tu imperative.
| Pronoun | Dire (to say) |
| tu you (informal) | di’ |
| Lei you (formal) | dica |
| noi we | diciamo |
| voi you (plural) | dite |
So, you can say:
- Dai un’occhiata a questo. or Da’ un’occhiata a questo. = Check this out.
But you can only say:
- Di’ la verità! = Tell the truth!
How to form the negative imperative in Italian
The negative imperative follows just two simple rules in Italian:
- For tu (the only exception), use non (not) + the infinitive.
- For all the other pronouns, use non (not) + the present imperative.
Negative imperative in Italian – entrare, prendere, partire
| Pronoun | Entrare (to enter) | Prendere (to take) | Partire (to leave) |
| tu you (informal) | non entrare | non prendere | non partire |
| Lei you (formal) | non entri | non prenda | non parta |
| noi we | non entriamo | non prendiamo | non partiamo |
| voi you (plural) | non entrate | non prendete | non partite |
Let’s see some examples:
- Non entrare, sto lavorando. = Don’t come in, I’m working.
- Signore, non parcheggi qui. È vietato. = Sir, don’t park here. It’s not allowed.
- Non partiamo oggi, aspettiamo domani! = Let’s not leave today; let’s wait until tomorrow.
- Non prendere l’autobus, la metro è più veloce. = Don’t take the bus; the subway is faster.
Using object and reflexive pronouns with the imperative
You’ve probably already seen expressions like dimmi (tell me), dammelo (give it to me), or alzati (get up). These are all examples of the imperative used with Italian pronouns.
Like other Italian verb moods, the imperative can be combined with direct and indirect object pronouns, reflexive pronouns, and the particles ci and ne. The main difference is their position: In the imperativo, pronouns follow a few special placement rules that are easy to learn.
Pronouns are attached to the end of the imperative in most situations
Object and reflexive pronouns are attached to the end of the imperative for all subject pronouns except Lei (formal you).
- Prendilo, è per te. = Take it, it’s for you.
- Scrivimi quando atterri. = Write to me when you land.
- Alzati, è tardi! = Get up, it’s late!
With the negative imperative, you have two correct pronoun placements
When using the negative imperative, you can place object and reflexive pronouns either before the verb or attached to the end.
- Non lo toccare./Non toccarlo. = Don’t touch it.
- Non li spostate./Non spostateli. = Don’t move them.
Remember to drop the final “-e” when a pronoun attaches to an infinitive:
- Non ti preoccupare. → Non preoccuparti. = Don’t worry.
The pronoun goes before the imperative with the formal ‘you’
The polite Lei breaks the pattern: The object and reflexive pronouns always come before the verb, whether the sentence is positive or negative.
- Mi dica di cosa ha bisogno. = Tell me what you need.
- Non mi dica questo. = Don’t say that to me.
Short imperative forms double the first consonant of the pronoun
When you attach a pronoun to the short form va’, da’, di’, fa’, and sta’ (tu forms of andare, dare, dire, fare, and stare), the first letter of the pronoun doubles.
- Vacci a piedi. = Go there on foot.
- Dammi un minuto. = Give me a minute.
- Dimmi di più. = Tell me more.
- Fammi sapere. = Let me know.
- Stanne fuori. = Stay out of it.
The only exception is the pronoun gli, which never doubles.
- Digli di chiamare il consolato. = Tell him to call the consulate.
Key takeaways for the Italian imperative
The Italian imperative becomes much easier once you remember a few core rules:
- The imperative gives commands, instructions, advice, requests, and suggestions, but the same verb can sound strict, neutral, or friendly, depending on tone and context.
- It only exists in the present tense and can only be used with four subject pronouns: Tu (informal you), Lei (formal you), noi (we), and voi (plural you).
- The negative imperative is formed by adding non (not) before the verb.
- Object and reflexive pronouns attach to the end of the imperative, except with Lei, where they always come before it.
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