Imperative Forms: Second Person Singular
Grammar Rule in 30 Seconds
Use the imperative to give orders or advice; for the second person singular, it usually ends in -и or -й.
- For most verbs, add -и to the stem: 'пиша' (write) becomes 'пиши'.
- If the stem ends in a vowel, add -й: 'играя' (play) becomes 'играй'.
- For negative commands, use 'не' + the present tense form: 'не пиши' (don't write).
Meanings
The imperative mood is used to express direct commands, requests, advice, or instructions to a single person you address as 'ти' (informal you).
Direct Command
Telling someone to do something immediately.
“Яж си супата!”
“Спри колата!”
Friendly Advice
Suggesting an action for someone's benefit.
“Почивай повече.”
“Обади се на мама.”
Negative Prohibition
Telling someone not to perform an action.
“Не пипай това!”
“Не закъснявай!”
Imperative Formation (Affirmative)
| Verb (Infinitive) | Stem | Imperative (2nd Sing) | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| пиша | пиш- | пиши | write |
| чета | чет- | чети | read |
| играя | игра- | играй | play |
| ям | я- | яж | eat |
| виждам | вижд- | виж | see |
| имам | има- | имай | have |
Reference Table
| Form | Structure | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Affirmative | Stem + -и/-й | Пиши! |
| Negative | Не + Present Tense | Не пиши! |
| Reflexive | Imperative + се/си | Измий се! |
| Irregular | Unique Stem | Виж! |
| Short Answer | Да/Не | Да, пиша. |
| Polite Request | Моля + Imperative | Моля, ела. |
Espectro de formalidad
Елате тук. (Calling someone.)
Ела тук. (Calling someone.)
Ела тук! (Calling someone.)
Айде тука! (Calling someone.)
Imperative Logic
Affirmative
- Пиши Write
Negative
- Не пиши Don't write
Examples by Level
Пиши тук.
Write here.
Ела при мен.
Come to me.
Не яж това.
Don't eat that.
Спри колата.
Stop the car.
Обади ми се по-късно.
Call me later.
Не закъснявай за срещата.
Don't be late for the meeting.
Прочети тази книга, много е хубава.
Read this book, it's very good.
Кажи ми истината.
Tell me the truth.
Почивай си, изглеждаш уморен.
Rest, you look tired.
Не говори толкова силно в библиотеката.
Don't speak so loudly in the library.
Вземи си чадър, ще вали.
Take an umbrella, it will rain.
Погледни какво направи!
Look what you did!
Не се притеснявай за дребните неща.
Don't worry about the small things.
Опитай се да разбереш неговата гледна точка.
Try to understand his point of view.
Не забравяй да изключиш лампата.
Don't forget to turn off the lamp.
Бъди себе си във всяка ситуация.
Be yourself in every situation.
Не се поддавай на провокации.
Don't give in to provocations.
Помисли добре преди да вземеш решение.
Think carefully before you make a decision.
Не пренебрегвай фактите.
Don't ignore the facts.
Бъди внимателен с избора си на думи.
Be careful with your choice of words.
Не се впускай в приключения без подготовка.
Don't embark on adventures without preparation.
Осъзнай значението на този момент.
Realize the significance of this moment.
Не се оставяй да бъдеш манипулиран.
Don't let yourself be manipulated.
Бъди стожер на своите принципи.
Be a pillar of your principles.
Easily Confused
Learners use the present tense for commands.
Using the wrong form for the person.
Adding -и to negative.
Errores comunes
Не пиши!
Не пиши!
Пиш!
Пиши!
Ти пиши.
Пиши.
Не яж!
Не яж!
Виждай!
Виж!
Не играй!
Не играй!
Елай!
Ела!
Пишете!
Пиши!
Не пишиш!
Не пиши!
Да пиши!
Пиши!
Бъдиш!
Бъди!
Не бъди!
Не бъди!
Кажи ми го!
Кажи ми го!
Sentence Patterns
___ тук.
Не ___ това.
___ ми истината.
___ си времето.
Real World Usage
Ела бързо!
Сподели това!
Кажете ми повече.
Спри тук.
Остави го пред вратата.
Яж си супата!
Listen for the stress
Don't use with strangers
Learn irregulars first
Intimacy marker
Smart Tips
Add 'моля' (please) before the imperative.
Use the 'да' construction instead.
Use the plural form.
Always use the present tense.
Pronunciación
Stress
The stress often moves to the final syllable in the imperative.
Falling
Пиши! ↓
A firm command.
Memorize It
Mnemonic
I for Imperative: Add an 'I' (и) to the verb to make it a command.
Visual Association
Imagine a giant 'I' (и) acting like a traffic light. When it turns green, you add it to the verb to say 'Go!'. When it turns red, you add 'Не' to stop.
Rhyme
If you want to say 'do', add an 'и' too; if you want to say 'don't', use 'не' or you won't.
Story
You are a coach. You tell your player 'Тичай!' (Run!). Then you see them running the wrong way, so you shout 'Не тичай!' (Don't run!). The player stops and listens.
Word Web
Desafío
Write 5 commands you would give to your pet or a friend in 5 minutes.
Notas culturales
The imperative is very common among friends. Using it with strangers is considered rude.
Derived from Proto-Slavic imperative forms.
Conversation Starters
Какво да направя?
Кажи ми една тайна.
Посъветвай ме за ученето.
Дай ми пример за това.
Journal Prompts
Test Yourself
___ (пиша) тук!
Which is the imperative of 'играя'?
Find and fix the mistake:
Не пиший!
Arrange the words in the correct order:
All words placed
Click words above to build the sentence
Eat!
Answer starts with: Яж!...
Imperative of 'чета'?
Match each item on the left with its pair on the right:
Command someone to see.
Score: /8
Ejercicios de practica
8 exercises___ (пиша) тук!
Which is the imperative of 'играя'?
Find and fix the mistake:
Не пиший!
тук / Ела / !
Eat!
Imperative of 'чета'?
Match verb to imperative.
Command someone to see.
Score: /8
Preguntas frecuentes (8)
No, it's too informal. Use the formal 'Вие' form.
Negative commands use the present tense, not the imperative ending.
Yes, common ones like 'виж' and 'яж'.
Yes, it becomes 'пишете'.
Only with strangers. With friends, it's normal.
Consonant stems take -и, vowel stems take -й.
No, that's a different structure.
Use 'моля' (please) before the imperative.
In Other Languages
Imperativo
Spanish has more irregular forms.
Impératif
Bulgarian has unique endings.
Imperativ
Bulgarian uses -и/-й.
Meireikei
Japanese is agglutinative.
Amr
Arabic is root-based.
Imperative
Chinese uses particles.
