Grammar Rule in 30 Seconds
The imperative is used to give commands or suggestions; simply conjugate the verb for the person you are addressing.
- For 'ti' (you singular), remove the infinitive ending and add -i, -j, or nothing.
- For 'vi' (you plural/formal), add -ite or -ite to the stem.
- For 'mi' (we), add -imo to the stem to express a suggestion.
Imperative Conjugation (Verb: Raditi)
| Person | Affirmative | Negative |
|---|---|---|
|
Ti (You sing.)
|
Radi
|
Ne radi
|
|
Vi (You pl./form.)
|
Radite
|
Ne radite
|
|
Mi (We)
|
Radimo
|
Ne radimo
|
Meanings
The imperative mood is used to express direct commands, requests, advice, or invitations.
Direct Command
Telling someone to perform an action immediately.
“Sjedni!”
“Pij vodu!”
Polite Request/Suggestion
Inviting someone to do something together.
“Idemo u kino.”
“Pijmo kavu.”
Reference Table
| Form | Structure | Example |
|---|---|---|
|
Affirmative
|
Stem + suffix
|
Pjevaj!
|
|
Negative
|
Ne + verb
|
Ne pjevaj!
|
|
Suggestion
|
Stem + -imo
|
Pjevajmo!
|
|
Formal
|
Stem + -ite
|
Pjevajte!
|
|
Singular
|
Stem + -i
|
Pjevaj!
|
|
Plural
|
Stem + -ite
|
Pjevajte!
|
フォーマル度スペクトル
Dođite ovamo. (Giving directions)
Dođi ovamo. (Giving directions)
Ajde vamo. (Giving directions)
Doleti! (Giving directions)
Imperative Usage Map
Purpose
- Zapovijed Command
- Prijedlog Suggestion
レベル別の例文
Dođi!
Come!
Sjedni!
Sit down!
Pij!
Drink!
Radi!
Work!
Ne govori!
Don't speak!
Idite kući.
Go home (plural).
Čitaj knjigu.
Read the book.
Pjevaj glasno!
Sing loudly!
Idemo u kino.
Let's go to the cinema.
Sjednimo ovdje.
Let's sit here.
Ne zaboravite kartu.
Don't forget the ticket.
Pomozi mi, molim te.
Help me, please.
Budite strpljivi s njim.
Be patient with him.
Ne budi tako tvrdoglav.
Don't be so stubborn.
Recite mi što mislite.
Tell me what you think.
Pokažite put do stanice.
Show the way to the station.
Ne dopustite da vas zavaraju.
Do not let them deceive you.
Učinite to odmah, bez odlaganja.
Do it immediately, without delay.
Budimo realni u vezi s tim.
Let's be realistic about that.
Pripazite na detalje.
Pay attention to the details.
Ne budi se u zoru, već u podne.
Don't wake up at dawn, but at noon.
Reci mi istinu, ma koliko bolna bila.
Tell me the truth, no matter how painful it is.
Pokažimo svijetu našu snagu.
Let's show the world our strength.
Ne sumnjajte u moje riječi.
Do not doubt my words.
間違えやすい
Both use similar stems.
よくある間違い
Govoriti!
Govori!
Ne radiš.
Ne radi!
Vi radi.
Vi radite.
Budite biti.
Budite.
文型パターン
___ (verb) mi!
Real World Usage
Dođi brzo!
Use 'Molim'
Smart Tips
Add 'molim' to be polite.
発音
Stress
The stress usually falls on the first syllable of the imperative suffix.
Falling
Sjedni! ↘
Strong command
暗記しよう
記憶術
Remember 'I-TE-IMO' for the endings: I for one, TE for many, IMO for we.
視覚的連想
Imagine a conductor waving a baton: 'I' (one musician), 'TE' (the whole orchestra), 'IMO' (the conductor joins in).
Rhyme
Za ti reci 'i', za vi reci 'ite', za mi reci 'imo', sve su to zapovijedi!
Story
Marko is a coach. He tells his player 'Trči!' (Run!). Then he tells the whole team 'Trčite!' (Run!). Finally, he says 'Trčimo!' (Let's run!) to join them in the warm-up.
Word Web
チャレンジ
Give 5 commands to your pet or a plant in Croatian today.
文化メモ
Direct commands are often softened with 'molim' (please) to avoid sounding rude.
Derived from Proto-Slavic imperative forms.
会話のきっかけ
Što da radim danas?
日記のテーマ
よくある間違い
Test Yourself
___ svoj posao!
Score: /1
練習問題
1 exercises___ svoj posao!
Score: /1
よくある質問 (1)
No, it's for addressing others.
Scaffolded Practice
1
Mastery Progress
Needs Practice
Improving
Strong
Mastered
In Other Languages
Imperativo
Spanish has more irregular forms.
Impératif
Croatian drops pronouns entirely.
Imperativ
Croatian is more flexible with word order.
Meireikei
Croatian endings are purely morphological.
Amr
Croatian is suffix-based.
Imperative
Croatian is highly inflected.
