Mastering the Imperative Mood: How to Give Commands in German

Understanding the Imperative Mood in German

The imperative mood is crucial for giving commands, making requests, or even offering advice. In German, like in English, you use the imperative to instruct someone to perform a certain action.

Forms of the Imperative in German

The imperative in German has different forms depending on whether you are addressing someone informally, formally, or a group of people. Let's explore these forms:

Informal Singular (du) Commands

The informal singular form is used when speaking to friends, family, or anyone you are on a 'du' basis with. To form it, take the du-form of the verb, remove the '-st' ending, dropping any umlauts on stem vowels in certain verbs, and use the base verb:

Informal Plural (ihr) Commands

When addressing a group of people informally, use the ihr-form of the verb but drop the pronoun 'ihr' itself. This form keeps its '-t' ending:

Formal Commands (Sie)

The formal command uses the verb followed by the pronoun 'Sie'. This form is designed for use with strangers, superiors, or in formal situations:

The 'Let's' Form (wir) Commands

To include yourself in the command (similar to 'Let's' in English), use the wir-form of the verb along with the pronoun 'wir':

Additional Tips for Using the Imperative

Utilizing adjective or adverb modifiers can help convey more specific instructions. Note that for negative commands, add 'nicht' or 'kein' in front of the verb or noun to negate it.

Practice Exercises

Try forming these commands in German yourself!

• "Bring the book!"
• "Don't worry!"
• "Let's dance!"