Irregular Imperative Forms (e.g., biti, ići)
Grammar Rule in 30 Seconds
Irregular imperatives like `budi` (be) and `idi` (go) use special stems to give direct orders or requests.
- The verb `biti` becomes `budi` (singular) or `budite` (plural).
- Verbs like `ići` change their stem to `id-` (e.g., `idi`, `idite`).
- Negative commands use `nemoj` + infinitive for a softer, common alternative.
Irregular Imperative Conjugation
| Infinitive | Stem | Ti (Singular) | Mi (We) | Vi (Plural/Formal) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
|
biti (to be)
|
bud-
|
budi
|
budimo
|
budite
|
|
ići (to go)
|
id-
|
idi
|
idimo
|
idite
|
|
dati (to give)
|
daj-
|
daj
|
dajmo
|
dajte
|
|
stati (to stop)
|
stan-
|
stani
|
stanimo
|
stanite
|
|
jesti (to eat)
|
jed-
|
jedi
|
jedimo
|
jedite
|
|
piti (to drink)
|
pij-
|
pij
|
pijmo
|
pijte
|
|
vidjeti (to see)
|
vid-
|
vidi
|
vidimo
|
vidite
|
|
reći (to say)
|
rec-
|
reci
|
recimo
|
recite
|
Meanings
The imperative mood is used to give orders, make requests, offer advice, or grant permission. Irregular forms occur when the verb stem changes significantly from the infinitive.
Direct Orders
Giving a clear, authoritative instruction to someone.
“Idi u svoju sobu!”
“Stani odmah!”
Polite Requests
Asking for something using the imperative, often softened by 'molim te'.
“Budi ljubazan i dodaj mi sol.”
“Pij više vode, dobro je za tebe.”
Invitations & Suggestions
Encouraging someone to do something together or for their benefit.
“Idimo u kino večeras!”
“Jedi ovaj kolač, odličan je.”
Reference Table
| Form | Structure | Example |
|---|---|---|
|
Affirmative (Ti)
|
Irregular Stem + -i/-j
|
Budi!
|
|
Affirmative (Vi)
|
Irregular Stem + -ite
|
Budite!
|
|
Affirmative (Mi)
|
Irregular Stem + -imo
|
Budimo!
|
|
Negative (Soft)
|
Nemoj(te) + Infinitive
|
Nemoj ići!
|
|
Negative (Direct)
|
Ne + Imperative
|
Ne idi!
|
|
3rd Person
|
Neka + Present Tense
|
Neka ide.
|
|
Question (Request)
|
Možeš li + Infinitive?
|
Možeš li dati?
|
|
Short Answer
|
Imperative verb alone
|
Daj!
|
Spectre de formalité
Budite tihi, molim Vas. (Classroom vs. Street)
Budi tih. (Classroom vs. Street)
Šuti! (Classroom vs. Street)
Začepi! (Classroom vs. Street)
Common Irregular Imperatives
Movement
- Idi! Go!
- Stani! Stop!
- Dođi! Come!
Existence
- Budi! Be!
- Budite! Be (plural)!
Consumption
- Jedi! Eat!
- Pij! Drink!
Regular vs. Irregular Commands
Choosing the Right Command
Is it 'to be'?
Is it formal?
Social Contexts
Restaurant
- • Dajte mi...
- • Pijte...
- • Jedi...
Travel
- • Idi...
- • Stani...
- • Vidi...
Home
- • Budi...
- • Daj...
- • Reci...
Exemples par niveau
Budi sretan!
Be happy!
Idi kući.
Go home.
Daj mi ruku.
Give me (your) hand.
Pij vodu.
Drink water.
Nemoj ići tamo.
Don't go there.
Budite tihi, molim Vas.
Be quiet, please (formal).
Dajte mi račun.
Give me the bill.
Jedi polako.
Eat slowly.
Stani ovdje.
Stop here.
Idimo u šetnju.
Let's go for a walk.
Budi spreman za pet minuta.
Be ready in five minutes.
Nemojte piti previše kave.
Don't drink too much coffee (formal).
Daj mi reci što se dogodilo.
Tell me what happened (lit: Give me tell).
Neka svatko uzme svoj papir.
Let everyone take their paper.
Budimo realni, to nije moguće.
Let's be realistic, that's not possible.
Sjednite i raskomotite se.
Sit down and make yourself comfortable.
Vidi ga kako trči!
Look at him running!
Budi mi živa i zdrava!
May you be alive and healthy! (Traditional blessing)
Reci mu to u lice ako smiješ.
Tell it to his face if you dare.
Stani malo, razmisli o posljedicama.
Wait a bit, think about the consequences.
Daj, ne budi tako naporan.
Come on, don't be so annoying.
Ma idi u nepovrat!
Go away and never come back! (Idiom)
Budi što jesi, bez obzira na sve.
Be what you are, regardless of everything.
Daj mi samo objasni tu logiku.
Just explain that logic to me (skeptical).
Hajde, budi čovjek pa priznaj.
Come on, be a man/human and admit it.
Facile à confondre
Learners use them interchangeably for 'Stop'.
They look the same for regular verbs (radite/radite).
Learners think 'dajite' is the plural of 'dati'.
Erreurs courantes
Biti sretan!
Budi sretan!
Ja idi.
Idi!
Ne idi!
Nemoj ići!
Dajite mi.
Dajte mi.
Idaj!
Idi!
Budiš!
Budi!
Stoj!
Stani!
Daj mi ga.
Daj mi ga!
Pijaj!
Pij!
Recite mi istinu (to a friend).
Reci mi istinu.
Neka ideš.
Neka ide.
Structures de phrases
Budi ___!
Nemoj ___!
Daj mi ___.
Reci mi ___.
Real World Usage
Dajte mi jedan espresso, molim Vas.
Idi ravno do crkve, pa skreni lijevo.
Budi dobar i jedi juhu.
Stani! Pazi!
Daj se javi kad stigneš.
Recite mi nešto o svom iskustvu.
The 'Nemoj' Shortcut
Formal vs. Informal
The 'J' Rule
Softening Commands
Smart Tips
Use 'Daj' as a prefix to almost any request to sound more natural.
Just take the singular form and add '-te'. It works 99% of the time.
Always use 'Nemoj' instead of 'Ne'. It sounds much warmer and less like a military order.
Expect the imperative to end in -i (idi, reci).
Prononciation
Imperative Accent
The accent in the imperative often shifts to the first syllable and is short.
Final -i
The final -i in forms like 'idi' or 'reci' is clearly pronounced, not silent.
The -j sound
In 'daj' or 'pij', the -j is a sharp 'y' sound like in 'boy'.
Command Falling
Ìdi! ↓
A direct order.
Request Rising
Budi dobar? ↑
A softer, almost questioning request.
Mémorise-le
Moyen mnémotechnique
Remember 'Budi' is your 'Buddy'—it's how you tell your friend to 'be' something.
Association visuelle
Imagine a traffic light: Green is 'Idi' (Go), Red is 'Stani' (Stop), and Yellow is 'Budi oprezan' (Be careful).
Rhyme
Za 'biti' reci 'budi', neka te ne čude ljudi!
Story
A waiter comes to your table. You say 'Daj mi kavu' (Give me coffee). He says 'Pij polako' (Drink slowly). You say 'Budi bez brige' (Be without worry/Don't worry).
Word Web
Défi
Look around your room and give yourself 5 commands in Croatian using irregular verbs (e.g., 'Budi miran!', 'Pij vodu!').
Notes culturelles
Using 'Daj' (Give) as a filler word is extremely common. It can mean 'Come on', 'Please', or 'Give me'.
In Dalmatia, you will often hear 'Ajde' instead of 'Hajde' or 'Idi'. It is the universal word for 'Let's go' or 'Come on'.
People in Zagreb might use 'Daj' more frequently in a whiny or pleading tone to soften requests.
The Slavic imperative descends from the Proto-Indo-European optative mood, which expressed wishes.
Amorces de conversation
Reci mi, što voliš raditi vikendom?
Budi iskren: koja ti je najdraža hrvatska hrana?
Daj mi savjet: kamo da idem na odmor?
Stani malo! Jesi li čuo vijesti?
Sujets d'écriture
Erreurs courantes
Test Yourself
___ sretan, danas ti je rođendan!
___ u školu!
Find and fix the mistake:
Ne ići tamo!
Vi pijete vodu.
Match each item on the left with its pair on the right:
Konobar: Izvolite? Gost: ___ mi jednu kavu.
Sort the words.
The imperative of 'biti' is 'jesi'.
Score: /8
Exercices pratiques
8 exercises___ sretan, danas ti je rođendan!
___ u školu!
Find and fix the mistake:
Ne ići tamo!
Vi pijete vodu.
1. Biti, 2. Ići, 3. Dati
Konobar: Izvolite? Gost: ___ mi jednu kavu.
Sort the words.
The imperative of 'biti' is 'jesi'.
Score: /8
FAQ (8)
In Croatian, the verb `biti` uses a different stem for the imperative mood. `Jesi` is part of the present tense, while `budi` comes from an older aspectual root meaning 'to become'.
Yes, but only in the plural/formal form (e.g., `Recite mi` or `Dajte mi`). Always add `molim Vas` to remain professional.
`Ne idi` is a direct, sharp command ('Do not go!'). `Nemoj ići` is softer and more common in daily speech ('Don't go').
Use the 1st person plural (mi) form: `Idimo!`. In casual speech, people often say `Hajdemo!` or just `Ajmo!`.
Not necessarily. Between friends, `Daj mi...` is standard. With strangers, use `Dajte mi... molim Vas` to be polite.
It depends on the stem. If the stem ends in a consonant (like `id-`), we add `-i`. If it ends in a vowel (like `daj-`), we don't add anything or we use `-j`.
Not directly. You must use the particle `neka` + the present tense, e.g., `Neka on ide` (Let him go).
It means 'Stop'. It is the imperative of `stati`. It is used for cars, people walking, or even someone talking too much.
Scaffolded Practice
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Mastery Progress
Needs Practice
Improving
Strong
Mastered
In Other Languages
Base form of the verb
Croatian conjugates for person (you vs. we vs. you all).
Imperativo
Spanish has a separate 'negative imperative' (subjunctive), while Croatian just adds 'ne' or uses 'nemoj'.
Imperativ
German often drops the final -e in singular commands, while Croatian keeps the -i or -j.
命令形 (Meireikei)
Japanese uses the ~te form for most requests, not the true imperative.
فعل الأمر (Fi'l al-Amr)
Arabic imperatives change significantly based on the gender of the person being addressed.
祈使句 (Qǐshǐjù)
Croatian is highly inflected; Chinese is not.
