How to Use the Imperative Mood for Commands and Requests in Czech

Understanding the Imperative Mood in Czech

The imperative mood in Czech is used to give commands, make requests, or offer invitations. It is an essential part of everyday communication, allowing speakers to express direct instructions or polite suggestions.

Forming the Imperative for Regular Verbs

In Czech, the imperative is formed by modifying the verb stem and adding specific endings depending on the person (usually second person singular or plural). The endings differ based on the verb conjugation group.

For example, for the verb dělat (to do):

• Second person singular: dělej! (Do!)
• Second person plural: dělejte! (Do! - plural or formal)

Note that the imperative form often drops the personal pronoun, as it is implied.

Imperative Forms for Different Persons

While the second person is most common, Czech also has imperative forms for the first person plural ("let's" commands) and third person (formal or indirect commands).

• First person plural: dělejme! (Let's do!)
• Third person singular/plural: ať dělá! / ať dělají! (Let him/her/them do!)

Using the Imperative Politely

To make commands or requests more polite, Czech speakers often add words like prosím (please) or use the formal second person plural imperative form.

For example: Prosím, pojďte sem. (Please, come here.)

Common Irregular Imperative Verbs

Some common Czech verbs have irregular imperative forms. Here are a few examples:

• být (to be): buď! (be!)
• jít (to go): jdi! (go!)
• mít (to have): měj! (have!)

Negative Imperative Forms

To form negative commands, place ne before the imperative verb form.

Example: Nechoď tam! (Don't go there!)

Practice Examples