TL;DR. Italian imperative: tu/noi/voi informal forms, Lei formal (=congiuntivo presente), negative tu uses non+infinitive, seven irregular verbs (sii, abbi, va’, da’, di’, fa’, sta’), pronoun placement opposite for tu vs Lei (dammelo vs me lo dia).
The italian imperative is the mood you use to give orders, instructions, advice, recipes, road directions, and warnings. It splits into two registers. The informal imperative covers tu (singular you), noi (let’s), and voi (plural you). The formal imperative covers Lei (singular polite) and Loro (plural polite, rare today) and is built on the congiuntivo presente. Negative tu uses a different rule: non + infinitive (non parlare!, not non parla!). On top of the conjugations, italian imperative collides with object pronouns in two opposite ways: in informal imperative the pronoun attaches to the verb (dammelo, prendilo), while in formal imperative the pronoun stays separate (me lo dia, lo prenda). This A2/B1 guide covers all five forms, the seven most useful irregular verbs (essere, avere, andare, dare, dire, fare, stare), pronoun placement with examples, the negative rule, a Florence directions dialogue, a cheat sheet, a collapsible mini-challenge, and a quiz.
Informal imperative: tu, noi, voi
The italian imperative has only three forms in the informal register: tu, noi, voi. Two of them coincide with the indicative present (noi and voi); only tu has a dedicated form. For first-conjugation verbs ending in -are, the tu form ends in -a (parla!). For second-conjugation (-ere) and third-conjugation (-ire) verbs, the tu form ends in -i (prendi!, dormi!).
| Person | parlare (-are) | prendere (-ere) | dormire (-ire) | finire (-ire isc) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| tu | parla! | prendi! | dormi! | finisci! |
| noi | parliamo! | prendiamo! | dormiamo! | finiamo! |
| voi | parlate! | prendete! | dormite! | finite! |
🔍 Observe:
- Parla più forte, non ti sento. Speak louder, I can’t hear you.
- Prendi il treno delle sette, è più puntuale. Take the seven o’clock train, it’s more punctual.
- Finite i compiti prima di cena, mi raccomando. Finish your homework before dinner, please.
- Andiamo a piedi, è una bella serata. Let’s walk, it’s a nice evening.
🎯 Mini-Challenge: informal imperative
- Speak louder! (parlare-tu)
- Let’s go on foot! (andare-noi)
Show answers
- Parla più forte!
- Andiamo a piedi!
Negative tu: non + infinitive
This is the rule that catches every learner. The negative tu imperative does NOT use the imperative form. It uses non + the infinitive. Parla becomes non parlare, prendi becomes non prendere, finisci becomes non finire. The noi and voi forms keep the same conjugation in the negative: non parliamo, non parlate.
🔍 Affirmative vs negative tu:
- Affirmative: parla più piano. Negative: non parlare a voce alta.
- Affirmative: prendi l’ombrello. Negative: non prendere la macchina, c’è traffico.
- Affirmative: vai a casa. Negative: non andare via senza salutare.
- Note: noi and voi are unchanged: non parliamo di lavoro stasera, non parlate tutti insieme.
🎯 Mini-Challenge: negative tu
- Don’t speak loudly. (parlare)
- Don’t take the car. (prendere)
Show answers
- Non parlare a voce alta.
- Non prendere la macchina.
Formal imperative: Lei (= congiuntivo presente)
To give a polite order or instruction to someone you address as Lei, italian uses the third-person singular of the congiuntivo presente. The form ends in -i for first-conjugation verbs (parli!) and in -a for second and third-conjugation (prenda!, dorma!, finisca!). The negative is the same form preceded by non: non parli!, non prenda!.
| Person | parlare | prendere | dormire | finire |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Lei (you, polite) | parli! | prenda! | dorma! | finisca! |
| Loro (you all, polite, rare) | parlino! | prendano! | dormano! | finiscano! |
🔍 Observe (typical service contexts):
- Si accomodi, prego. La dottoressa la riceve subito. Please have a seat. The doctor will see you in a moment.
- Mi scusi, dove si trova la stazione? Excuse me, where is the station?
- Prenda la prima a destra, poi continui dritto per cento metri. Take the first right, then continue straight for a hundred metres.
- Non si preoccupi, le mando il modulo via email. Don’t worry, I’ll send you the form by email.
The Loro form (plural polite) is rarely used in spoken italian today. Most speakers use voi even with two or more people they would address individually as Lei. Loro is reserved for hyper-formal restaurant service, royal addresses, and old-fashioned writing.
🎯 Mini-Challenge: formal Lei
- Please have a seat. (sedersi-Lei)
- Don’t worry. (preoccuparsi-Lei)
Show answers
- Si sieda, prego.
- Non si preoccupi.
Seven irregular verbs to memorise
Seven verbs have irregular imperative forms in the tu singular. Five of them have a short, monosyllabic form ending in apostrophe: va’, da’, di’, fa’, sta’. The forms vai, dai, fai, stai are also accepted (modern usage). Essere and avere have their own irregular pattern.
| Verb | tu | Lei | noi | voi |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| essere | sii | sia | siamo | siate |
| avere | abbi | abbia | abbiamo | abbiate |
| andare | va’ (vai) | vada | andiamo | andate |
| dare | da’ (dai) | dia | diamo | date |
| dire | di’ | dica | diciamo | dite |
| fare | fa’ (fai) | faccia | facciamo | fate |
| stare | sta’ (stai) | stia | stiamo | state |
🔍 Observe:
- Va’ a letto, è tardi. Go to bed, it’s late.
- Sta’ tranquillo, andrà tutto bene. Don’t worry, everything will be fine.
- Sii paziente, il treno arriverà tra dieci minuti. Be patient, the train will arrive in ten minutes.
- Abbi fede in te stesso, sei capace. Have faith in yourself, you can do this.
- Faccia attenzione al gradino. Mind the step. (formal)
🎯 Mini-Challenge: irregular verbs
- Be patient. (essere-tu)
- Have faith. (avere-tu)
Show answers
- Sii paziente.
- Abbi fede.
Pronoun placement: dammelo vs me lo dia
Pronouns behave differently in informal and formal imperative. With tu, noi, voi, the pronoun attaches to the end of the verb forming a single word: dimmi, prendilo, andiamoci, ditelo. With Lei, the pronoun stays separate and goes BEFORE the verb: mi dica, lo prenda, ci vada, lo dica.
| English | Informal (tu) | Formal (Lei) |
|---|---|---|
| Tell me! | Dimmi! | Mi dica! |
| Take it! | Prendilo! | Lo prenda! |
| Sit down! | Siediti! | Si sieda! |
| Give it to me! | Dammelo! | Me lo dia! |
| Don’t worry! | Non ti preoccupare! / Non preoccuparti! | Non si preoccupi! |
| Go away! | Vattene! | Se ne vada! |
🔍 Doubling rule with monosyllabic imperatives:
- The five short forms va’, da’, di’, fa’, sta’ double the consonant of the attached pronoun: dimmi (di’ + mi), fammi sapere (fa’ + mi), dammelo (da’ + me + lo), vacci (va’ + ci), stammi vicino (sta’ + mi).
- Exception: the pronoun gli never doubles. Digli (di’ + gli), not diggli.
- Negative tu with pronoun: two positions are accepted, both correct. Non ti preoccupare (pronoun before infinitive) or non preoccuparti (attached to infinitive). Native speakers use both.
🎯 Mini-Challenge: pronoun placement
- Tell me the truth. (informal+formal)
- Give it to me. (informal+formal)
Show answers
- Dimmi la verità / Mi dica la verità.
- Dammelo / Me lo dia.
Cheat sheet
| Form | parlare | prendere | finire | andare |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| tu (+) | parla | prendi | finisci | va’ / vai |
| tu (-) | non parlare | non prendere | non finire | non andare |
| Lei (+) | parli | prenda | finisca | vada |
| Lei (-) | non parli | non prenda | non finisca | non vada |
| noi | parliamo | prendiamo | finiamo | andiamo |
| voi | parlate | prendete | finite | andate |
Dialogue: directions in Florence
A tourist asks a barista for directions to the Bargello museum. The exchange uses the formal Lei imperative throughout.
- 👨🏼 Mi scusi, dov’è il Bargello? Excuse me, where is the Bargello?
- 👨🏻🦱 Esca dal bar, giri a sinistra e continui per via del Proconsolo. Leave the bar, turn left and continue along Via del Proconsolo.
- 👨🏼 È lontano? Is it far?
- 👨🏻🦱 Non si preoccupi, sono cinque minuti a piedi. Prenda la prima a destra, poi vada sempre dritto. Don’t worry, it’s five minutes on foot. Take the first right, then go straight.
- 👨🏼 Grazie. Mi dica, ne vale la pena la visita? Thank you. Tell me, is the visit worth it?
- 👨🏻🦱 Assolutamente. Faccia il biglietto online se può, evita la fila. Absolutely. Get the ticket online if you can, you’ll skip the queue.
- 👨🏼 Perfetto. Mi scusi ancora il disturbo. Perfect. Sorry to bother you again.
- 👨🏻🦱 Si figuri. Stia attento al sole, oggi picchia forte. Don’t mention it. Watch out for the sun, it’s strong today.
LOADING QUIZ…
Milano: A2/B1 group course on Zoom
Drill the imperative in real conversations with weekly small-group lessons on Zoom.
Further reading: Treccani : imperativo.
Milano: A2/B1 group course on Zoom
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Frequently asked questions
How many forms does the italian imperative have?
Five: tu, noi, voi (informal), Lei, and Loro (formal). The Loro form is rare in spoken Italian today; most speakers use voi even with multiple people they would address as Lei individually.
Why is the negative tu imperative non parlare and not non parla?
In italian, the negative tu imperative uses non plus the infinitive. Parla (eat, speak) becomes non parlare. The rule applies only to tu: the negative noi and voi forms are unchanged (non parliamo, non parlate). For Lei, the negative is non plus the same congiuntivo form (non parli).
What is the difference between dammelo and me lo dia?
Both mean give it to me, but the register differs. Dammelo is the informal tu form: the pronouns me + lo attach to the imperative da’ (with the consonant doubling typical of monosyllabic imperatives). Me lo dia is the formal Lei form: the pronouns stay separate and go before the verb dia (third-person singular congiuntivo). Use dammelo with friends and family, me lo dia with strangers, professionals, older people you don’t know well.
Why does dimmi double the m?
The five short imperatives va’, da’, di’, fa’, sta’ double the consonant of the attached pronoun. Di’ (say) plus mi (to me) becomes dimmi. Fa’ (do) plus mi becomes fammi. The exception is gli, which never doubles: digli (tell him), not diggli.
How do I form the formal Lei imperative?
Use the third-person singular of the congiuntivo presente. For -are verbs the ending is -i: parlare to parli. For -ere and -ire verbs the ending is -a: prendere to prenda, dormire to dorma, finire to finisca. The negative is the same form preceded by non: non parli, non prenda.
Are va’ and vai both correct?
Yes. The classical short form is va’ (with apostrophe), but vai is now widely accepted in modern Italian. The same applies to da’ / dai, fa’ / fai, sta’ / stai. The short form is preferred in writing and in fixed expressions (va’ a casa, fa’ come ti pare). The long form is more common in everyday speech.
Where does the pronoun go in non preoccuparti vs non ti preoccupare?
Both positions are correct. With negative tu plus a pronoun, italian allows two options: pronoun before the infinitive (non ti preoccupare, non ti muovere) or pronoun attached to the infinitive (non preoccuparti, non muoverti). Native speakers use both; the second is slightly more frequent in writing.
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