Using Imperative for Commands and Requests
Grammar Rule in 30 Seconds
Use the Imperative to give orders, make requests, or offer advice by modifying the verb's present tense stem.
- Find the 3rd person plural present (e.g., 'rade') and drop the ending to get the stem.
- Add -i/-imo/-ite if the stem ends in a consonant (Radi!).
- Add -j/-jmo/-jte if the stem ends in a vowel (Čitaj!).
Meanings
The imperative mood is used to express commands, requests, suggestions, or prohibitions directed at one or more people.
Direct Command
Giving a firm order that expects immediate action.
“Stani!”
“Otvori prozor!”
Polite Request
Asking someone to do something, often softened with 'molim' (please).
“Dodajte mi sol, molim vas.”
“Sjednite, molim.”
Advice or Suggestion
Offering guidance or recommending a course of action.
“Uzmi kišobran, padat će kiša.”
“Pazi na sebe.”
Prohibition
Telling someone not to do something, usually using 'nemoj'.
“Nemoj plakati.”
“Nemojte zaboraviti ključeve.”
Imperative Endings based on Present Stem
| Verb Type | 3rd Plural | Ti (2nd sg) | Mi (1st pl) | Vi (2nd pl) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| -ati (vowel stem) | čitaju | Čitaj! | Čitajmo! | Čitajte! |
| -iti (consonant stem) | rade | Radi! | Radimo! | Radite! |
| -jeti (consonant stem) | vide | Vidi! | Vidimo! | Vidite! |
| -uti (vowel stem) | čuju | Čuj! | Čujmo! | Čujte! |
| Irregular (biti) | su / budu | Budi! | Budimo! | Budite! |
| Irregular (ići) | idu | Idi! | Idimo! | Idite! |
Reference Table
| Form | Structure | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Affirmative (Ti) | Stem + -i / -j | Kupi kruh! (Buy bread!) |
| Affirmative (Mi) | Stem + -imo / -jmo | Kupimo kruh! (Let's buy bread!) |
| Affirmative (Vi) | Stem + -ite / -jte | Kupite kruh! (Buy bread! - plural/polite) |
| Negative (Standard) | Nemoj(te) + Infinitive | Nemoj kupiti kruh! (Don't buy bread!) |
| Negative (Direct) | Ne + Imperative | Ne kupuj to! (Don't buy that!) |
| 3rd Person (Sg/Pl) | Neka + Present Tense | Neka on kupi. (Let him buy.) |
| Reflexive | Imperative + se | Operi se! (Wash yourself!) |
| Polite Request | Imperative + molim vas | Dođite, molim vas. (Come, please.) |
طيف الرسمية
Otvorite vrata, molim Vas. (Entering a building)
Otvorite vrata. (Entering a building)
Otvori vrata. (Entering a building)
Daj, otvaraj to! (Entering a building)
The Three Faces of the Imperative
Commands
- Stani! Stop!
- Šuti! Be quiet!
Requests
- Daj mi... Give me...
- Pomozi! Help!
Advice
- Pazi! Watch out!
- Uči! Study!
Vowel vs Consonant Stems
How to form the negative command
Is it a formal situation?
What follows?
Imperative in Daily Life
Kitchen
- • Miješaj!
- • Soli!
- • Peci!
Street
- • Stani!
- • Skreni!
- • Pazi!
Office
- • Piši!
- • Šalji!
- • Zovi!
أمثلة حسب المستوى
Dođi ovamo!
Come here!
Čekaj me!
Wait for me!
Slušaj!
Listen!
Pij vodu.
Drink water.
Nemoj zakasniti na večeru.
Don't be late for dinner.
Skrenite desno kod ljekarne.
Turn right at the pharmacy.
Daj mi tu knjigu, molim te.
Give me that book, please.
Nemojte pušiti ovdje.
Don't smoke here.
Popij ovaj lijek i bit će ti bolje.
Drink (finish) this medicine and you'll feel better.
Pazi kako voziš, cesta je skliska.
Watch how you drive, the road is slippery.
Recite nam što se točno dogodilo.
Tell us exactly what happened.
Uživajte u svom boravku u Hrvatskoj!
Enjoy your stay in Croatia!
Sjedni i smiri se, sve će biti u redu.
Sit down and calm down, everything will be fine.
Neka svatko uzme po jedan papir.
Let everyone take one piece of paper.
Ne brini se toliko o tuđem mišljenju.
Don't worry so much about other people's opinions.
Pošaljite nam životopis do petka.
Send us your CV by Friday.
Ma nemoj mi reći!
You don't say! / Don't tell me!
Pristupi problemu s više opreza.
Approach the problem with more caution.
Oprosti mi na smetnji, ali trebam tvoju pomoć.
Forgive me for the disturbance, but I need your help.
Budi ono što jesi.
Be who you are.
Neka bude svjetlost!
Let there be light!
Daj, ne pretjeruj s tim pričama.
Come on, don't exaggerate with those stories.
Smiluj se jadnom čovjeku.
Have mercy on the poor man.
Pusti neka vrijeme odradi svoje.
Let time do its work.
سهل الخلط
The 'Vi' form of the present tense and the imperative often look identical (e.g., 'Vi radite').
Learners aren't sure when to use 'Nemoj' and when to use 'Ne'.
Both mean 'tell/say', but 'reci' is much more common in the imperative.
أخطاء شائعة
Ti rad!
Radi!
Čita!
Čitaj!
Ne radi!
Nemoj raditi!
Vi radi!
Radite!
Pisa!
Piši!
Nemojte radi!
Nemojte raditi!
Dajete mi sol.
Dajte mi sol!
Pijte cijelu kavu!
Popijte cijelu kavu!
Sjednite se.
Sjednite.
Kaži mi!
Reci mi!
Neka ti radiš.
Neka on radi.
Budiš sretan!
Budi sretan!
أنماط الجُمل
Daj mi ___, molim te.
Nemoj ___ tako kasno.
Skrenite ___ kod ___.
Budite ___ dok ___.
Real World Usage
Piši mi kad stigneš!
Donesite nam još kruha, molim vas.
Recite nam nešto više o svom iskustvu.
Idite ravno do kraja ulice.
Zapratite za još recepata!
Zovi hitnu pomoć!
The 'Molim' Rule
Don't use the Infinitive
The 'Hajde' Shortcut
Eye Contact
Smart Tips
Always use the 'Vi' form (ending in -ite/-jte) and add 'molim vas'.
Think of the 'they' form of the verb. If they 'rade', you say 'Radi!'. If they 'pjevaju', you say 'Pjevaj!'.
Stick to 'Nemoj' + Infinitive. It's the safest and most natural-sounding construction for learners.
Use the 'mi' form (ending in -imo/-jmo) to say 'Let's...'.
النطق
Imperative Stress
The stress in the imperative often shifts to the first syllable and becomes more forceful.
The 'J' sound
In vowel-stem imperatives, the 'j' is pronounced clearly like the 'y' in 'yes'.
Falling Command
Sta-ni! ↘
A sharp drop in pitch indicates a firm command.
احفظها
وسيلة تذكّر
Think of the 'J' in 'Joyful' for vowel stems (Čitaj!) and the 'I' in 'Important' for consonant stems (Radi!).
ربط بصري
Imagine a traffic controller with a whistle. When he points at you (Ti), he says 'Stani!'. When he points at a group (Vi), he says 'Stanite!'. The whistle sound is the sharp imperative ending.
Rhyme
Za 'ti' dodaj -i il' -j, za 'vi' -ite il' -jte, hej!
Story
A bossy chef is in the kitchen. He sees his team and yells 'Radite!' (Work!). He sees a lazy waiter and says 'Nosi!' (Carry!). Finally, he sees someone about to burn the soup and screams 'Nemoj dirati!' (Don't touch!).
Word Web
تحدٍّ
Go through your house and label 5 items with an imperative action you do with them (e.g., on the fridge: 'Otvori!', on the book: 'Čitaj!', on the lamp: 'Upali!').
ملاحظات ثقافية
Croatians are often very direct. Using the imperative without 'molim' (please) among friends is not considered rude, but rather efficient.
In Dalmatian dialects, you might hear shortened imperatives or different vowel sounds, like 'Ajde' instead of 'Hajde'.
When speaking to elders or superiors, always use the 'Vi' form of the imperative, even if you are asking for something simple.
The Croatian imperative descends from the Proto-Indo-European optative mood, which expressed wishes.
بدايات محادثة
Reci mi, što trebam posjetiti u Zagrebu?
Daj mi savjet: kako najbolje naučiti hrvatski?
Pokaži mi na karti gdje se nalazi tvoja kuća.
Objasnite mi kako se radi sarma.
مواضيع للكتابة اليومية
Test Yourself
___ ovu knjigu, jako je dobra!
___ (not forget) ključeve!
Find and fix the mistake:
Vi radi brže!
Ti piješ vodu. -> ___
Match each item on the left with its pair on the right:
A: Konobaru, ___ (donijeti) mi račun, molim vas.
The negative imperative is most commonly formed with 'Nemoj' + Infinitive.
Slušaj, Slušajte, Jedi, Jedite
Score: /8
تمارين تطبيقية
8 exercises___ ovu knjigu, jako je dobra!
___ (not forget) ključeve!
Find and fix the mistake:
Vi radi brže!
Ti piješ vodu. -> ___
1. Ići, 2. Biti, 3. Raditi
A: Konobaru, ___ (donijeti) mi račun, molim vas.
The negative imperative is most commonly formed with 'Nemoj' + Infinitive.
Slušaj, Slušajte, Jedi, Jedite
Score: /8
الأسئلة الشائعة (8)
No, you cannot command yourself. For 'let's', we use the 'mi' form (e.g., `Idimo!`).
`Nemoj raditi!` is the standard way to say 'Don't work'. `Ne radi!` is more aggressive or poetic.
Not at all! It depends on your tone and the use of `molim` (please). In many contexts, it's just direct and clear.
Just add `se` after the imperative form. For example: `Umij se!` (Wash yourself!).
Because the imperative is formed from the 3rd person plural present `pišu`, not the infinitive `pisati`.
Use the particle `neka` + present tense: `Neka ide`.
`Daj` is for one person you know well; `Dajte` is for multiple people or for being polite to one person.
The most important ones are `biti` -> `budi` and `ići` -> `idi`.
Scaffolded Practice
1
2
3
4
Mastery Progress
Needs Practice
Improving
Strong
Mastered
In Other Languages
Imperativo
Negative commands in Spanish require a mood shift (subjunctive), Croatian uses an auxiliary verb.
Impératif
French imperative forms are usually identical to the present tense, whereas Croatian often changes the stem or ending.
Imperativ
German often drops the final -e in informal commands, while Croatian endings are mandatory.
命令形 (Meireikei)
Japanese has many levels of politeness (nasai, kudasai, etc.), while Croatian mostly uses 'Vi' + 'molim'.
فعل الأمر (Fi'l al-Amr)
Arabic has distinct masculine and feminine forms for the imperative, which Croatian does not have in the 2nd person.
祈使句 (Qǐshǐjù)
Chinese has no verb conjugation; the imperative is determined by context and particles.
