Forming the Imperative

More of this Feature • Imperatives: Part 1 • Workbook Exercises • Verb Table: Part One • Verb Table: Part Two    Join the Discussion "Can someone explain the use of il passato prossimo and i verbi riflessivi?" HEGE5    Related Resources • 1001 Italian Verbs • Italian Verbs For Beginners • Second Conjugation Italian Verbs • Third Conjugation Italian Verbs    Elsewhere on the Web • Coniuga I Verbi • Coniugatore di Verbi • Il Sito Del Verbo

• the negative imperative for tu in all conjugations is formed by placing non before the infinitive. The noi and voi forms are identical to those in the affirmative.

	lavorare	scrivere
(tu)	Non lavorare!	Non scrivere!
(noi)	Non lavoriamo!	Non scriviamo!
(voi)	Non lavorate!	Non scrivete!

	dormire	finire
(tu)	Non dormire!	Non finire!
(noi)	Non dormiamo!	Non finiamo!
(voi)	Non dormite!	Non finite!

• direct object pronouns, indirect object pronouns, and reflexive pronouns, when used with the affirmative imperative, are attached to the end of the verb to form one word. The only exception is loro, which is always separate.

alzarsi	mettersi	vestirsi
alzati	mettiti	vestiti
alziamoci	mettiamoci	vestiamoci
alzatevi	mettetevi	vestitevi

• when a pronoun is attached to the tu imperative short forms of andare, dare, dire, fare, and stare, the apostrophe disappears and the first consonant of the pronoun is doubled, except when that pronoun is gli.

  Fammi un favore! Fammelo!
  Do me a favor! Do it for me!

  Dille la verità! Digliela!
  Tell her the truth! Tell it to her!

• when the verb is in the negative imperative, the pronouns may either precede or follow the verb.

  Carlo vuole le paste?
  Does Carlos want the pastries?

  Non gliele dare! (Non dargliele)!
  Don't give them to him!

Forming the Imperative > Page 1, 2