Updated on January 3, 2024
The German imperative: More than giving orders
The German imperative is a mood in German grammar. It is used to give orders and commands. Some would say it’s a quintessential feature of German, as the German language is often perceived as rather rude. We prefer to call it short and concise – a benefit for people learning the language, which can be otherwise quite wordy. Good news for you: There are only four forms of the imperative ( with a few exceptions). But don’t worry, we’ll walk you through all you need to know in three easy steps.
The imperative sentence is a usually short order or command directed at someone else or a group. The short commands might sound rude to foreign ears, but when you use the imperative mood in a conversation with German friends, they will most likely interpret it as a suggestion or request and won’t feel offended at all. So have no concerns using sentences like these:
As mentioned, there is nothing offensive about these imperative sentences. But you can make them sound more polite by adding a please (bitte), giving additional information on what you expect or stressing the urgency of the situation:
You could also communicate the same thing by using longer sentences like these:
It’s up to you to decide which version you want to use but Germans will usually take the short route. So do most English speakers.
By the way, have you noticed that German imperative sentences are built similarly to English ? Most importantly, the verb form is at the beginning of the sentence.
These examples already show how to use the German imperative. Do you have a suggestion or want to get things done? The imperative is the best form in German grammar to express what you want in a short and easy way. You can communicate instructions such as directions and even encouragement in a concise and active way:
The German imperative can also save lives: If you see your friend stepping in front of a car, you wouldn’t want to lose time with niceties: “Pass auf!” does a much better job in keeping your friend save than would “Excuse me, but have you noticed this car approaching very fast?”
Another instance where you’ll encounter the German imperative: when you have to give an actual command. From military training to dog training, you’ll hear Germans use the imperative to quickly and brusquely tell someone (or something) what they need to do.
Note: In public notices, the infinitive is used instead of the imperative:
Now that you know what the German imperative is and when to use it, now you need to learn how to form it.
To form the imperative for the second-person singular, you use the present tense in the second-person singular minus -st and the personal pronoun du:
| infinitive | present tense 2nd singular | imperative 2nd person singular |
| gehen | du gehst | geh |
To form the imperative for the second-person plural, you use the present tense without the personal pronoun ihr:
| infinitive | 2nd person plural | Imperative 2nd person plural |
| gehen | ihr geht | geht |
To form the imperative for the second-person singular and plural Sie (formal you), you use the infinitive followed by the personal pronoun Sie:
| infinitive | imperative singular formal you | imperative plural formal you |
| gehen | Gehen Sie! | Gehen Sie! |
To form the imperative for the first-person plural, you use the infinitive followed by the personal pronoun wir:
| infinitive | imperative 1st person plural |
| gehen | Gehen wir! |
There are three cases of exceptions, that need an extra look.
To form the imperative for the second-person singular, remove only the -t from the present tense form:
| infinitive | present tense 2nd singular | imperative 2nd person singular |
| sitzen | du sitzt | sitz |
As a variation to the imperative for the second-person singular, an -e can be added at the end. This form is a bit antiquated but still in use, mostly in written or formal language:
| infinitive | present tense 2nd singular | imperative 2nd person singular |
| gehen | du gehst | geh(e) |
Best memorize the imperative forms of haben (have), sein (be) and werden (become):
| haben | sein | werden | |
| imperative second person singular | hab | sei | werde |
| imperative second person plural | habt | seid | werdet |
| imperative singular and plural formal you | haben Sie | seien Sie | werden Sie |
| imperative first person plural | haben wir | seien wir | werden wir |
Examples:
Note: While the imperative for the first-person plural of haben is haben, we usually use “lasst uns … haben” as a substitute to avoid confusion with a question. Compare:
(Let’s have a good time vs. Do we have a good time?)
The German imperative can cover a lot of situations such as giving orders, giving instructions, making suggestions, providing encouragement or giving a warning. The imperative is directed to the second-person singular and plural in the formal and informal you as well as to a group of people including the speaker (we). With very few exceptions and variations, the German imperative is easy enough to learn. So go back to your imperative tables and practice!
