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

Understanding the Imperative Mood in Croatian

The imperative mood in Croatian is used to give commands, make requests, or offer invitations. It is a direct way to tell someone to do something. Unlike English, Croatian imperative forms change depending on the person (second person singular, plural, or first person plural) and the verb conjugation group.

When to Use the Imperative Mood

Use the imperative mood when you want to:

• Give a command or order (e.g., "Come here!")
• Make a polite request (e.g., "Please sit down.")
• Offer an invitation (e.g., "Let's go!")

Forming the Imperative in Croatian

Croatian verbs are divided into different conjugation groups, and the imperative is formed by modifying the verb stem accordingly. Here are the general rules for the second person singular and plural forms, which are the most common when giving commands or requests.

Second Person Singular (Ti)

To form the imperative for 'you' (singular), remove the infinitive ending (-ti or -ći) and add the appropriate ending:

• For most verbs, add -i or -aj
• Example: raditi (to work) → radi! (work!)
• Example: pisati (to write) → piši! (write!)

Second Person Plural (Vi)

For 'you' (plural), add -te to the verb stem:

• Example: raditi → radite! (work!)
• Example: pisati → pišite! (write!)

First Person Plural (Mi) - Let's...

To make suggestions including yourself ("Let's..."), use the first person plural imperative form by adding -mo to the verb stem:

• Example: raditi → radimo! (let's work!)
• Example: pisati → pišimo! (let's write!)

Examples of Imperative Commands and Requests in Croatian

Politeness and the Imperative Mood

In Croatian, the imperative can sound very direct or even rude if used improperly. To be polite, especially with strangers or elders, use the second person plural form even when speaking to one person, or add polite words like molim (please).