🔍 In short. The italian imperative is the mood for orders, requests, instructions, recipes, road signs, and friendly advice. It splits into four useful forms: tu (informal you), noi (let’s), voi (informal plural you), and Lei (polite singular, borrowed from the present subjunctive). Negative tu drops the imperative entirely and uses non + infinitive: non parlare, never non parla. With tu, noi, voi, the object pronoun glues to the verb (dammelo, parliamogli, ditemelo); with Lei, the pronoun sits before the verb (me lo dia, gli parli, me lo dica). The five short monosyllables va’, da’, di’, fa’, sta’ double the consonant of any attached pronoun (fammi, dimmelo, vacci), with one exception: gli never doubles (digli, not diggli). The italian imperative collides with English in three ways, and once those three are fixed, every short Italian command falls into place.
Cosa impareremo oggi
👆🏻 Jump to section
- The tu imperative: regular forms
- The noi and voi forms: borrowed from the present
- Negative tu: non plus the infinitive
- The formal Lei: borrowed from the subjunctive
- Irregular monosyllables: va’, da’, di’, fa’, sta’
- Four more irregulars: sii, abbi, sappi, vogli
- Attached pronouns with tu, noi, voi
- Separate pronouns with the formal Lei
- The doubling rule: fammi, dimmelo, vacci
- Why gli never doubles: digli, dagli
- Cheat sheet
- Dialogue at a music school in Lucca
- Frequently asked questions
- Related guides
The tu italian imperative: regular forms
Walk into a violin lesson in Lucca and the first words you hear are italian imperative forms: siediti, respira, ascolta il metronomo. The italian imperative starts here, with a single dedicated form for tu. For first-conjugation verbs ending in -are, the tu form drops the infinitive ending and adds -a: parlare becomes parla, ascoltare becomes ascolta, suonare becomes suona. For second-conjugation (-ere) and third-conjugation (-ire) verbs, the tu form ends in -i: prendere gives prendi, dormire gives dormi, aprire gives apri. The isc-pattern -ire verbs keep the same pattern as their present indicative: finire becomes finisci, pulire becomes pulisci.
| Conjugation | Infinitive | tu imperative | Example |
|---|---|---|---|
| -are | parlare | parla | Parla più piano, c’è il bambino che dorme. |
| -are | ascoltare | ascolta | Ascolta il metronomo prima di attaccare. |
| -ere | prendere | prendi | Prendi il treno delle sette, è più puntuale. |
| -ere | scrivere | scrivi | Scrivi qui il tuo numero, ti chiamo io domani. |
| -ire | dormire | dormi | Dormi ancora un’ora, è presto. |
| -ire (isc) | finire | finisci | Finisci la cena prima di guardare il film. |
That single -a versus -i split is the only thing learners need to memorise for the regular tu italian imperative. The noi and voi forms, as we will see in the next section, are simpler still: they coincide with the present indicative. So three quarters of the italian imperative paradigm is already in place once you can conjugate verbs in the present.
The noi and voi italian imperative: borrowed from the present
For noi (let’s) and voi (you all, informal), the italian imperative reuses the present indicative form word for word, with no new ending to learn. Parliamo, prendiamo, dormiamo for noi; parlate, prendete, dormite for voi. No new ending to learn. Context tells you whether parliamo means "we speak" (indicative) or "let’s speak" (imperative).
- Andiamo a piedi, sono solo dieci minuti.
Let’s walk, it’s only ten minutes. - Aspettiamo Federica, arriva tra cinque minuti.
Let’s wait for Federica, she’ll be here in five minutes. - Ascoltate bene le indicazioni del maestro, sono importanti.
Listen carefully to the teacher’s instructions, they are important. - Finite gli esercizi prima di accendere la televisione.
Finish the exercises before turning the television on. - Mettete le scarpe nello scaffale all’ingresso.
Put your shoes on the rack at the entrance.
The noi italian imperative translates the English "let’s" cleanly. The voi italian imperative covers everything from a teacher addressing a class to a friend speaking to a group. Because both forms also exist in the present indicative, you will rarely have trouble producing them: if you can say parlate italiano as a statement, you can also say it as a command. The italian imperative simply reuses what you already know.
🎯 Italian imperative mini-challenge: Turn each infinitive into the italian imperative form requested.
- (parlare, tu) ___ più forte, non ti sento.
- (prendere, tu) ___ la prima a destra, poi sempre dritto.
- (finire, tu) ___ la cena, è quasi fredda.
- (aspettare, noi) ___ ancora cinque minuti.
- (ascoltare, voi) ___ il professore, dice cose utili.
👉 See answers
1. Parla più forte (tu, -are).
2. Prendi la prima a destra (tu, -ere).
3. Finisci la cena (tu, -ire isc).
4. Aspettiamo ancora cinque minuti (noi, indicative reused).
5. Ascoltate il professore (voi, indicative reused).
Negative tu italian imperative: non plus the infinitive
This is the negative italian imperative rule that catches every learner on the first day. The negative tu form does not negate the imperative. It replaces it. Instead of parla you say non parlare; instead of prendi, non prendere; instead of finisci, non finire. The noi and voi negatives, by contrast, just take non in front of the regular form: non parliamo, non parlate. Treccani notes the rule directly in its grammar entry: "nell’imperativo negativo la 2a persona singolare è sostituita dall’infinito".
- Non chiamarmi prima delle nove, sto ancora preparando la lezione.
Don’t call me before nine, I’m still preparing the lesson. - Non bere alcolici a cena se vuoi dormire bene.
Don’t drink alcohol with dinner if you want to sleep well. - Non saltare i pasti, mangia a orari regolari.
Don’t skip meals, eat at regular times. - Non avere paura di sbagliare, ricomincia dall’inizio.
Don’t be afraid of making mistakes, start over from the beginning. - Non parliamo di lavoro stasera, è venerdì.
Let’s not talk about work tonight, it’s Friday. - Non parlate tutti insieme, una persona alla volta.
Don’t all talk at once, one person at a time.
The infinitive sounds odd to English speakers because it looks like a bare verb without subject ("to call", "to drink"). In the italian imperative it carries the negative command perfectly. Resist the temptation to translate "don’t speak" as non parla; that sentence reads as the third person indicative ("he doesn’t speak"). The bare infinitive is the only correct negative tu italian imperative.
The formal Lei italian imperative: borrowed from the subjunctive
When you address someone as Lei, the italian imperative switches engines. There is no dedicated Lei form; Italian borrows the third-person singular of the congiuntivo presente (present subjunctive) and treats it as the polite command. For -are verbs the ending is -i: parlare becomes parli. For -ere and -ire verbs the ending is -a: prendere becomes prenda, dormire becomes dorma, finire becomes finisca.
| Conjugation | Infinitive | Lei imperative | Example |
|---|---|---|---|
| -are | parlare | parli | Per favore, parli con la segretaria al primo piano. |
| -are | compilare | compili | Compili il modulo con i suoi dati e firmi qui sotto. |
| -ere | prendere | prenda | Prenda l’ascensore in fondo al corridoio. |
| -ire | dormire | dorma | Dorma tranquilla, le portiamo la cena in camera. |
| -ire (isc) | finire | finisca | Finisca pure il caffè, non c’è fretta. |
The negative Lei is built by putting non in front of the same subjunctive form: non parli, non prenda, non dorma, non finisca. There is no infinitive switch here; that quirk belongs to tu only. Native speakers reach for the Lei italian imperative constantly in service situations: at the post office, in a doctor’s office, at the questura (immigration office), in any shop with employees who address customers politely. If you are renting an apartment in Italy, half of what your landlord says will be in the Lei imperative.
- Si accomodi, prego. La dottoressa la riceve subito.
Please have a seat. The doctor will see you in a moment. - Non si preoccupi, le mando il programma del corso via email.
Don’t worry, I’ll send you the course schedule by email. - Mi scusi, dove si trova la stazione dei treni?
Excuse me, where is the train station? - Vada sempre dritto fino al semaforo, poi giri a destra in via Burlamacchi.
Go straight to the traffic light, then turn right onto Via Burlamacchi. - Stia attento al gradino all’uscita, è scuro lì sotto.
Watch out for the step on the way out, it’s dark down there.
The plural polite italian imperative Loro exists on paper (third person plural of the subjunctive: parlino, prendano, dormano, finiscano) but in everyday spoken Italian almost no one uses it. Even high-end restaurants and hotels have shifted to voi when addressing two or more guests. Save the Loro form for old novels and the most formal written correspondence.
Irregular italian imperative monosyllables: va’, da’, di’, fa’, sta’
Five high-frequency verbs have short, apostrophed italian imperative forms in the tu: va’ (andare), da’ (dare), di’ (dire), fa’ (fare), sta’ (stare). They come from a process of truncation called troncamento: the longer forms vai, dai, fai, stai existed and still exist, but the apostrophe form became the conventional choice in writing. Treccani’s grammar entry calls the modern situation a coexistence of two valid forms: "la forma piena (stai, vai, fai, dai) e la forma con l’apostrofo (sta’, va’, fa’, da’)". The verb dire, on the other hand, has only the short form: di’, never dici as an imperative.
| Verb | tu (short) | tu (long, modern) | Lei | noi | voi |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| andare | va’ | vai | vada | andiamo | andate |
| dare | da’ | dai | dia | diamo | date |
| dire | di’ | (no long form) | dica | diciamo | dite |
| fare | fa’ | fai | faccia | facciamo | fate |
| stare | sta’ | stai | stia | stiamo | state |
Two spelling errors to avoid: never write dì with a grave accent for the imperative of dire (that grave accent belongs to the noun dì, "day"), and never write và, fà, dà, stà with grave accents. Treccani is firm: "le forme accentate stà, và, fà, dà sono semplicemente scorrette". The apostrophe is the correct mark, because it indicates a truncated word.
- Va’ a letto, è già mezzanotte.
Go to bed, it’s already midnight. - Da’ retta a tua madre, sa quello che dice.
Listen to your mother, she knows what she’s saying. - Di’ la verità, non ho voglia di indovinare.
Tell the truth, I don’t feel like guessing. - Fa’ come ti pare, io ho già deciso.
Do as you like, I’ve already decided. - Sta’ tranquillo, andrà tutto bene.
Don’t worry, everything will be fine.
Four more italian imperative irregulars: sii, abbi, sappi, vogli
Four verbs use a special italian imperative form that historically came from the old subjunctive and is now reserved for the command: essere gives sii, avere gives abbi, sapere gives sappi, volere gives vogli. The first two are part of everyday Italian; sappi appears in fixed expressions like sappilo (know this); vogli is mostly literary or stuck in set phrases. The voi plural forms are regular: siate, abbiate, sappiate, vogliate.
- Sii paziente con i nuovi allievi, hanno bisogno di tempo.
Be patient with the new students, they need time. - Abbi cura di quel violino, è uno strumento antico.
Take care of that violin, it’s an antique instrument. - Sappi che la lezione di sabato è stata spostata alle dieci.
You should know that Saturday’s lesson has been moved to ten. - Siate puntuali domani, il maestro non ama aspettare.
Be on time tomorrow, the teacher doesn’t like waiting. - Abbiate pazienza, il treno è in ritardo di mezz’ora.
Please be patient, the train is half an hour late.
Italian imperative clitics: attached pronouns with tu, noi, voi
One of the most distinctive features of the italian imperative is what happens when you add an object or reflexive pronoun. With tu, noi, voi, the pronoun glues to the end of the verb to form a single written word: parlami (talk to me), diciamogli (let’s tell him), ditelo (say it). When two pronouns combine, they merge in the standard combined order (indirect + direct, with mi/ti/ci/vi becoming me/te/ce/ve before lo/la/li/le/ne): dammelo (give it to me), portateceli (bring them to us), diciamoglielo (let’s tell it to him).
- Margherita, suonalo ancora una volta, ma più lento.
Margherita, play it once more, but slower. - Federica, dimmi a che ora apre la biblioteca civica oggi.
Federica, tell me what time the public library opens today. - Mauro, lavati le mani prima di sederti a tavola.
Mauro, wash your hands before sitting at the table. - Andiamoci subito, se aspettiamo non troviamo più posto.
Let’s go right away; if we wait there will be no seats left. - Ditemi voi quando volete che riprendiamo le lezioni dopo le feste.
You tell me when you want us to start the lessons again after the holidays.
With the negative tu italian imperative plus a pronoun, two positions are both correct and both common. You can leave the pronoun before the infinitive (non ti preoccupare, non lo dire) or attach it to the end (non preoccuparti, non dirlo). A WordReference thread that gathered geographic data noted that northern Italy slightly prefers the attached form, while central and southern Italy lean toward the separate form. Both are standard Italian; neither is dialectal. With noi and voi negatives, the pronoun attaches in the usual way: non parliamogli, non ditelo.
Separate pronouns with the formal Lei italian imperative
With the formal Lei italian imperative, the rule flips. The pronoun stays separate and goes before the verb: mi dica (tell me), lo prenda (take it), si accomodi (have a seat), me lo dia (give it to me), gli telefoni (call him). Same logic for the negative: non si preoccupi, non me lo dica, non lo prenda. The reflexive pronoun si follows the same separate-and-before rule, which is why service Italian is full of si accomodi, si sieda, si calmi.
| English | Informal (tu): attached | Formal (Lei): separate, before |
|---|---|---|
| Tell me! | Dimmi! | Mi dica! |
| Take it! | Prendilo! | Lo prenda! |
| Sit down! | Siediti! | Si sieda! |
| Give it to me! | Dammelo! | Me lo dia! |
| Call him! | Telefonagli! | Gli telefoni! |
| Don’t worry! | Non preoccuparti! / Non ti preoccupare! | Non si preoccupi! |
| Go away! | Vattene! | Se ne vada! |
The opposite-direction logic between the informal and formal italian imperative is the single feature that most often confuses English speakers, because English has no comparable register split. Practice helps more than theory: a few weeks of paying attention to how shopkeepers, doctors, train conductors, and waiters address you will install the Lei-imperative-with-pronoun-before pattern automatically.
🎯 Italian imperative mini-challenge: Rewrite each informal command as the formal Lei equivalent.
- Dimmi a che ora arriva il treno.
- Prendi la prima a destra, poi vai sempre dritto.
- Siediti qui, ti porto un bicchiere d’acqua.
- Dammi il modulo, lo compilo io.
- Non preoccuparti del rumore, è solo per un momento.
👉 See answers
1. Mi dica a che ora arriva il treno.
2. Prenda la prima a destra, poi vada sempre dritto.
3. Si sieda qui, le porto un bicchiere d’acqua.
4. Mi dia il modulo, lo compilo io.
5. Non si preoccupi del rumore, è solo per un momento.
The italian imperative doubling rule: fammi, dimmelo, vacci
The five short monosyllabic italian imperative forms va’, da’, di’, fa’, sta’ have a special habit: when a pronoun attaches, the first consonant of the pronoun doubles. Di’ plus mi becomes dimmi, not dimi. Fa’ plus mi becomes fammi. Da’ plus me plus lo becomes dammelo. Va’ plus ci becomes vacci. Sta’ plus mi becomes stammi. Treccani’s grammar describes the rule at the entry on truncation: "nel caso degli imperativi con troncamento di’, fa’, va’, sta’, da’ l’unione dei pronomi porta al raddoppiamento della consonante iniziale del primo pronome".
- Pietro, fammi vedere come si tiene il coltello per quelle verdure.
Pietro, show me how to hold the knife for those vegetables. - Il volume è troppo alto? Dimmelo, così lo abbasso.
Is the volume too high? Tell me so I can lower it. - Dammelo subito, non scherzare con quello strumento.
Give it to me right now, don’t fool around with that instrument. - Se davvero ci tieni ad andare al cinema, vacci.
If you really want to go to the cinema, go. - Stammi vicino, voglio sentire bene quello che spiega il maestro.
Stay close to me, I want to hear what the teacher is explaining.
The doubling does not happen with the long italian imperative forms vai, dai, fai, stai: vaci, dami, fami do not exist. The rule is strictly tied to the apostrophed monosyllables. It also does not extend to other imperatives: prendimi (not prendmmi), dormici (not dormcci), scrivimi (not scrivmmi). Only those five short verbs trigger the consonant boost.
Italian imperative exception: why gli never doubles in digli, dagli
One pronoun escapes the italian imperative doubling rule: gli. Even after one of the five short imperatives, gli stays single. Di’ plus gli becomes digli, never diggli. Da’ plus gli becomes dagli, not daggli. Fa’ plus gli becomes fagli. The combined forms with gli followed by another pronoun (glielo, gliela, glieli, gliele, gliene) also keep the single consonant: diglielo, daglielo, fagliene.
- Digli che lo aspetto alle otto in punto davanti alla scuola.
Tell him I’ll wait for him at eight sharp in front of the school. - Diglielo prima che lo sappia da qualcun altro.
Tell it to him before he hears it from someone else. - Dagli un’altra possibilità, è ancora giovane.
Give him another chance, he’s still young. - Fagli sapere quando arrivi, così viene a prenderti in stazione.
Let him know when you arrive so he can pick you up at the station. - Non dirglielo per telefono, è una notizia troppo importante.
Don’t tell it to him over the phone, it’s too important a piece of news.
This italian imperative exception has no exception. Whatever the combination, gli never doubles after a short imperative. Whenever in doubt, single g is the safe bet. Italian native speakers consider the doubled spelling diggli or daggli a clear mistake.
Italian imperative cheat sheet
One table to keep open while you build any italian imperative sentence. It covers the five forms across regular and the most useful irregular verbs.
| Verb | tu (+) | tu (−) | Lei (+) | noi | voi |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| parlare | parla | non parlare | parli | parliamo | parlate |
| prendere | prendi | non prendere | prenda | prendiamo | prendete |
| dormire | dormi | non dormire | dorma | dormiamo | dormite |
| finire (isc) | finisci | non finire | finisca | finiamo | finite |
| andare | va’ / vai | non andare | vada | andiamo | andate |
| dare | da’ / dai | non dare | dia | diamo | date |
| dire | di’ | non dire | dica | diciamo | dite |
| fare | fa’ / fai | non fare | faccia | facciamo | fate |
| stare | sta’ / stai | non stare | stia | stiamo | state |
| essere | sii | non essere | sia | siamo | siate |
| avere | abbi | non avere | abbia | abbiamo | abbiate |
| sapere | sappi | non sapere | sappia | sappiamo | sappiate |
Italian imperative pronoun rule in one line: attach for tu / noi / voi, separate and before for Lei. Italian imperative doubling rule in one line: only after va’, da’, di’, fa’, sta’, and never with gli.
Italian imperative in action: dialogue at a music school in Lucca
Margherita teaches violin at a small community music school in Lucca. Tommaso, a new B1 student, arrives for his first lesson. Watch the italian imperative shift between informal tu (Margherita addressing Tommaso) and formal Lei (Margherita addressing a parent who calls during the lesson) inside the same conversation.
👩🏼🦰 Margherita: Ciao Tommaso, benvenuto. Entra, posa il cappotto sulla sedia e siediti qui davanti al leggio.
👨🏽🦱 Tommaso: Grazie. Devo accordare il violino prima di iniziare?
👩🏼🦰 Margherita: Sì, fammi sentire come suona la corda di La, poi controlliamo le altre. Non avere fretta.
👨🏽🦱 Tommaso: Eccola. Mi sembra un po’ bassa.
👩🏼🦰 Margherita: Hai ragione. Gira il pirolo molto piano, due o tre millimetri alla volta. Hai paura di romperlo?
👨🏽🦱 Tommaso: Un po’, sì. Il mio insegnante precedente li girava sempre lui.
👩🏼🦰 Margherita: Sii tranquillo, non si rompe quasi mai. Dammelo, ti faccio vedere io questa volta, poi alla prossima lezione lo fai da solo.
👨🏽🦱 Tommaso: Perfetto, grazie.
👩🏼🦰 Margherita: Ecco fatto. Adesso prova il La di nuovo. Bene. Suona una scala di sol maggiore, lentamente. Non guardare le dita, guarda lo spartito.
📞 (squilla il telefono della scuola)
👩🏼🦰 Margherita: Scusa Tommaso, è una mamma di un altro allievo. Pronto? Buongiorno signora. Mi dica pure.
👩🏽 Mamma: Volevo sapere se posso spostare la lezione di Lorenzo a venerdì.
👩🏼🦰 Margherita: Venerdì alle cinque ho un posto libero. Prenda quell’orario se le va bene, e mi mandi un messaggio per conferma. Non si preoccupi, segno io tutto sul registro.
👩🏽 Mamma: Grazie mille, glielo confermo entro sera.
👩🏼🦰 Margherita: Perfetto. Buona giornata. (riaggancia) Scusami Tommaso. Riprendi dalla scala, prego.
What to notice in the dialogue
- Entra, posa, siediti, gira, prova, suona, riprendi: regular tu italian imperative, Margherita addressing Tommaso informally.
- Fammi sentire, dammelo: short irregulars fa’ and da’ with the doubling rule.
- Non avere, non guardare: negative tu built with non + infinitive.
- Sii tranquillo: irregular italian imperative of essere.
- Mi dica, prenda, mi mandi, non si preoccupi: formal Lei italian imperative with pronoun before the verb, used the moment the parent calls.
- The shift from tu (with Tommaso) to Lei (with the parent) shows how Italians switch registers mid-conversation without breaking stride.
🎯 Final italian imperative challenge: Translate into natural Italian, choosing the right form (tu, Lei, noi, or voi).
- Tell him (digli) the truth before someone else does. (informal tu)
- Don’t worry, sir, the package arrives tomorrow. (formal Lei)
- Show me how this works. (informal tu, monosyllabic verb + doubling)
- Be patient with the children, they’re tired. (informal tu, essere)
- Take the elevator at the end of the corridor. (formal Lei)
- Let’s go on foot, the bus takes longer. (noi)
👉 See answers
1. Digli la verità prima che lo faccia qualcun altro.
2. Non si preoccupi, signore, il pacco arriva domani.
3. Fammi vedere come funziona. (fa’ + mi, doubled m)
4. Sii paziente con i bambini, sono stanchi.
5. Prenda l’ascensore in fondo al corridoio.
6. Andiamo a piedi, l’autobus impiega di più.
Test your understanding
Take the italian imperative quiz below to drill all five forms (tu, Lei, noi, voi, irregular monosyllables) plus pronoun placement and the doubling rule.
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Frequently asked questions
These questions about the italian imperative come from real exchanges among learners on language forums, focused on the corners where English speakers stumble most. The institutional reference is the Treccani entry on imperativo, with usage notes on the doubling rule and the negative tu.
Why is the negative tu imperative non parlare and not non parla?
Italian builds the negative tu imperative with non + infinitive, not with non + imperative. Parla becomes non parlare, prendi becomes non prendere, finisci becomes non finire. The rule is specific to tu: the negative noi and voi forms simply add non to the regular form (non parliamo, non parlate), and the negative Lei adds non to the same subjunctive form (non parli, non prenda). If you said non parla, an Italian would hear the third-person indicative meaning he/she does not speak. The infinitive is the only correct choice for the negative tu.
What’s the difference between dammelo and me lo dia?
Both mean give it to me, but the register differs. Dammelo is the informal tu form, where the pronouns me and lo attach to the imperative da’ with the consonant doubling typical of the five short imperatives. Me lo dia is the formal Lei form, where the pronouns stay separate and go before the verb dia (the third-person singular of the present subjunctive used as the polite command). Use dammelo with friends, family, and children; use me lo dia with strangers, professionals, older people you don’t know well, and anyone you address as Lei.
Why does dimmi double the m?
The five short monosyllabic imperatives va’, da’, di’, fa’, sta’ trigger a consonant doubling on any attached pronoun. Di’ plus mi becomes dimmi, fa’ plus mi becomes fammi, da’ plus me plus lo becomes dammelo, va’ plus ci becomes vacci, sta’ plus mi becomes stammi. The doubling happens because the apostrophe marks a truncated word; when a pronoun glues on, the first consonant of the pronoun reinforces. The rule applies only to those five short verbs, never to longer imperatives like prendere (prendimi, not prendmmi).
Why doesn’t gli double after di’ or da’?
The pronoun gli is the one exception to the doubling rule. Di’ plus gli is digli, not diggli. Da’ plus gli is dagli, not daggli. Fa’ plus gli is fagli. The exception extends to the combined forms with gli + another pronoun: diglielo, daglielo, faglielo. Italian native speakers consider the doubled g a clear spelling mistake. Whenever in doubt, single g is the correct choice with gli.
Are non preoccuparti and non ti preoccupare both correct?
Yes, both are standard Italian and both are common. With the negative tu plus a pronoun, Italian allows two positions: pronoun attached to the infinitive (non preoccuparti, non muoverti, non dirlo) or pronoun before the infinitive (non ti preoccupare, non ti muovere, non lo dire). Forum discussions among native speakers note a slight geographic preference: northern Italy leans toward the attached form, central and southern Italy toward the separate form. Neither version is dialectal or substandard. Use the one that sounds more natural to you.
Are va’ and vai both valid for go?
Yes. The classical short form is va’ with the apostrophe (and the parallel forms da’, fa’, sta’). Treccani notes that the long forms vai, dai, fai, stai are also accepted in contemporary Italian. The short form is preferred in writing and in fixed expressions (va’ a letto, fa’ come ti pare, da’ retta a me), while the long form is more common in everyday speech. What is incorrect is the grave-accent form và, dà, fà, stà: those are spelling mistakes, never valid.
How do clitics attach to the formal Lei imperative?
With the formal Lei, the rule is opposite to the informal tu. Pronouns stay separate from the verb and go before it: mi dica (tell me), lo prenda (take it), si accomodi (have a seat), me lo dia (give it to me), gli telefoni (call him). The negative follows the same logic with non in front: non si preoccupi, non me lo dica, non lo prenda. The separate-and-before pattern is consistent across all reflexive, direct, indirect, and combined pronouns, which makes it easier to learn than the attached-to-the-verb informal rule.
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Milano A2-B1
Small group course · live on Zoom · native teacher
Move from the basics to real conversations, step by step, with a native Italian teacher who keeps the group small and the pace right for you.
- Small groups, max 4 students — weekly live Zoom lessons
- Grammar, vocabulary, listening and writing in every cycle
- Materials in Italian + English, beginner-friendly
- Homework after each lesson, corrected by your teacher
Individual classes
One-to-one · any level · live on Zoom
Private lessons with your dedicated native Italian teacher, fully tailored to your goals and schedule, from absolute beginner to advanced.
- 55-minute individual Zoom lessons, your dedicated teacher
- Personalised level assessment included
- Interactive online materials — homework after each lesson
- Flexible weekly schedule or pay-as-you-go package
Related guides
- Italian Imperative: Tu, Lei, Noi, Voi + Pronoun Placement (A2/B1): the prerequisite walkthrough of the basic forms, useful before tackling the full pronoun and doubling system here.
- Italian Reflexive Verbs: True, Reciprocal, Pronominal (B1): clitic placement on imperative, gerundio, and infinito for reflexive verbs.
- Italian Modal Verbs: Dovere, Potere, Volere, Sapere (B1): pairs with the polite-conditional softening of commands.
- Italian Formal Lei: When to Switch Register (B1): the broader register rules behind the Lei imperative.
- Treccani: imperativo: the institutional reference, in Italian.
