{"id":69627,"date":"2017-08-23T18:55:56","date_gmt":"2017-08-23T22:55:56","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.fluentu.com\/blog\/learn\/italian-commands\/"},"modified":"2025-06-09T11:14:46","modified_gmt":"2025-06-09T15:14:46","slug":"italian-commands","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.fluentu.com\/blog\/italian\/italian-commands\/","title":{"rendered":"How to Use Commands in Italian"},"content":{"rendered":"

Dimmi l\u2019ora. <\/em>(Tell me the time.)<\/p>\n

Fammi sapere.<\/em> (Let me know.)<\/p>\n

Aspetta! Lasciami pensare! <\/em>(Wait! Let me think!)<\/p>\n

All of those sentences use the Italian command<\/strong> form<\/strong> (also known as the imperative<\/strong> form<\/strong>) which is used to make direct suggestions or give orders. You’re going to need to understand it and use it in just about any conversation.<\/p>\n

Read on to learn all about Italian commands in the\u00a0tu<\/em>,\u00a0Lei<\/em>,\u00a0noi\u00a0<\/em>and\u00a0voi\u00a0<\/em>forms<\/strong> and see them used in example sentences.<\/p>\n

[fluentu-toc]<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

Considerations for Learning Italian Commands<\/h2>\n

Despite what I said about imperatives being very common, this is more of an intermediate-level<\/strong> grammar topic.<\/p>\n

If you’re just starting out,\u00a0you\u00a0can use this post to familiarize yourself with the imperative form anyway. You might come across it in beginner books<\/a>, songs, videos<\/a>\u00a0or podcasts<\/a>. But to learn to form it yourself, you’ll have a much easier time if you already know and understand the Italian present indicative<\/a> and the present subjunctive<\/a>.<\/p>\n

It’s also wise to first understand\u00a0the Italian object pronouns and reflexive pronouns (including how they combine with verbs).<\/p>\n

As with the present tense and other conjugations, the Italian imperative changes\u00a0depending on the verb’s subject. That is, you’ll use different forms of the verbs\u00a0depending on the person you’re bossing around.<\/p>\n

For this reason, it’s easiest to learn each form of the imperative separately.<\/p>\n

I’ll start this article with the trickiest form, tu<\/em>\u00a0<\/strong>(informal singular \u201cyou\u201d).<\/p>\n

Then we’ll look at Lei<\/em>\u00a0<\/strong>(formal singular \u201cyou\u201d) and finish with the easier noi<\/em>\u00a0<\/strong>(\u201cwe\u201d) and voi<\/em>\u00a0<\/strong>(plural \u201cyou\u201d) forms.<\/p>\n

I’ll also cover the dreaded irregular verbs that follow none of the rules.<\/p>\n

Note that, when we make a command in Italian, we don’t actually include any of the above\u00a0subject pronouns<\/strong>\u00a0(tu, Lei, noi, voi)<\/em> in our\u00a0sentences. In the third example above we saw just\u00a0“aspetta”<\/em>\u2014not<\/strong> “tu aspetta,”<\/em>\u00a0which would sound strange.<\/p>\n

Also note that Italians are more liberal with\u00a0their sprinkling of exclamation points after commands than English writers tend to be.<\/p>\n

Tu<\/em> Commands in Italian<\/h2>\n

We use tu<\/em> to address a single person informally in Italian.<\/p>\n

The\u00a0tu\u00a0<\/em>command form comes up quite a lot. After all, who do we boss around more than the people we’re closest to?<\/p>\n

The\u00a0tu\u00a0<\/em>section of this article is the longest and most complicated. For example, you’ll notice that tu<\/em> has different positive and negative command forms.<\/p>\n

But don’t lose hope here at the outset!<\/p>\n

I’ve broken tu<\/em>\u00a0into easy-to-swallow subsections. It’s more fun and useful to spend a full study session learning and practicing each of these separately.<\/p>\n

I also promise that there’s light when you come out\u00a0the other end of this section. The\u00a0other imperative subject conjugations are much simpler.<\/p>\n

Positive tu<\/em>\u00a0commands with -are<\/em>\u00a0verbs<\/h3>\n

The positive imperative tu<\/em> form of verbs ending in -are<\/em> is the same as the conjugations you first learned for\u00a0lui\/lei.<\/em><\/p>\n

You’ll just end these\u00a0tu\u00a0<\/em>commands\u00a0with –<\/em>a<\/em>.<\/p>\n

In other words, the positive imperative\u00a0tu<\/em>\u00a0form is the same as the present tense third-person\u00a0indicative form. (I know that sounds complicated, but present tense indicative is just the “normal” present tense.)<\/p>\n

So, let’s try this with\u00a0the verb guardare<\/em> (to watch). First, we take the verb’s\u00a0third-person indicative form,\u00a0lui\u00a0guarda<\/em> (he watches). Then we repurpose it to give an informal order to a single person.<\/p>\n

Guardare<\/strong>\u00a0<\/em>\u2192 lui guarda<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n

Guarda<\/strong> attentamente.<\/em> (Watch carefully.)<\/p>\n

Not too bad, right?<\/p>\n

Another example:<\/p>\n

Mischiare <\/strong><\/em>(to combine) \u2192 lui mischia<\/strong><\/em>\u00a0(he combines)<\/p>\n

Mischia<\/strong> l’aceto con l\u2019olio d\u2019oliva.<\/em> (Combine the vinegar with the olive oil.)<\/p>\n

Positive tu<\/em>\u00a0commands in Italian with –ere<\/em> and –ire<\/em>\u00a0verbs<\/h3>\n

The positive imperative tu<\/em> form with –ere<\/em> and –ire<\/em> verbs is easier.<\/p>\n

It’s exactly the same as the present tense indicative (“normal”)\u00a0tu<\/em> form.<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\t\n\n\t\n\t\n\t
Verb<\/strong><\/th>Tu<\/em> command form<\/strong><\/th>Example<\/strong><\/th>\n<\/tr>\n<\/thead>\n
Mettere <\/a>\n <\/em><\/strong> (to put)<\/td> tu metti<\/strong> <\/a>\n <\/em>\u00a0(you put\/put!)<\/td> Metti<\/strong> l\u2019altoparlante sulla mensola. <\/a>\n <\/em> (Put the speaker on the shelf.)<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Finire <\/a>\n <\/em><\/strong> (to finish)<\/td> tu finisci<\/strong> <\/a>\n <\/em>\u00a0(you finish\/finish!)<\/td> Finisci<\/strong> la minestra. <\/a>\n <\/em> (Finish the soup.)<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Aprire <\/a>\n <\/em><\/strong> (to open)<\/td> tu apri<\/strong> <\/a>\n <\/em>\u00a0(you open\/open!)<\/td> Apri<\/strong> la valigia. <\/a>\n <\/em> (Open the suitcase.)<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n\n

This pattern holds for most verbs that have irregular present tense indicative tu<\/em>\u00a0forms.<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\t\n\n\t\n\t\n\t
Verb<\/strong><\/th>Tu<\/em> command form<\/strong><\/th>Example<\/strong><\/th>\n<\/tr>\n<\/thead>\n
Scegliere<\/strong> <\/a>\n <\/em> (to choose)<\/td> tu scegli<\/strong> <\/a>\n <\/em> (you choose\/choose!)<\/td> Scegli<\/strong> un argomento. <\/a>\n <\/em> (Choose a topic.)<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Tenere <\/strong> <\/a>\n <\/em> (to hold)<\/td> tu tieni<\/strong> <\/a>\n <\/em> (you hold\/hold!)<\/td> Tieni<\/strong> duro! <\/a>\n <\/em> (Hang in there\/you\u2019ll survive! [Literally \"Hold hard!\"])<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Uscire <\/strong> <\/a>\n <\/em> (to go out)<\/td> tu esci<\/strong> <\/a>\n <\/em> (you go out\/get out!)<\/td> Esci<\/strong> da qui! <\/a>\n <\/em> (Get out of here!)<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n\n

Using pronouns with positive tu<\/em>\u00a0commands<\/h3>\n

With positive\u00a0tu<\/em>\u00a0commands, the object pronouns and reflexive pronouns (lo, ci, te<\/em>, etc.) come after the verb and are attached to it, and the result is spelled as\u00a0a single word.<\/p>\n

Mettilo<\/strong> qua!<\/em> (Put it here!)<\/p>\n

Mangialo<\/strong>!<\/em>\u00a0(Eat it!)<\/p>\n

Lavati<\/strong> i denti!<\/em> (Brush your teeth!)<\/p>\n

Note: There are a few\u00a0irregular spelling changes that can take place with pronouns and tu<\/em> commands, as described\u00a0in the next section.<\/p>\n

The very irregular but also very useful positive\u00a0tu<\/em>\u00a0commands<\/h3>\n

There are eight (and thankfully only eight) verbs that don’t follow the above patterns for positive\u00a0tu<\/em> commands, nor any other real pattern.<\/p>\n

You’ll absolutely want to memorize all of them as they’re also quite common.<\/p>\n

Below are the eight verbs with their conjugations and examples of how they can be used in context.<\/p>\n

Spelling note:<\/strong>\u00a0When followed by a pronoun, the forms da’<\/em>, di’<\/em>, fa’<\/em>, sta’<\/em>\u00a0and va’<\/em> listed below cause the pronoun’s initial consonant to double. The example of this that you’ve likely already seen is\u00a0dimmi<\/em> (tell me) rather than\u00a0dimi<\/em>. There are other examples of this shown with the various verbs below.<\/p>\n

Also, where used, the apostrophes are important. They distinguish the written verbs from other short words in Italian that are spelled the same. For example,\u00a0di’<\/em> means “Say!” whereas\u00a0di<\/em>\u00a0is the preposition meaning “of,” “from” or “by.”<\/p>\n

For the verbs that have two conjugations, both are correct and are often used interchangeably. However, for andare<\/em>, the first tends to be used more for making suggestions and the second for giving orders.<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\t\n\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t
Verb<\/strong><\/th>Tu<\/em> command<\/strong><\/th>Examples<\/strong><\/th>\n<\/tr>\n<\/thead>\n
Andare <\/a>\n <\/em><\/strong> (to go)<\/td> va\u2019 <\/a>\n <\/strong><\/em>\/ vai <\/a>\n <\/strong><\/em> (you go\/go!)<\/td> Va\u2019<\/strong> a Roma domani. <\/a>\n <\/em> (Go to Rome tomorrow.)
\n
\n Vai<\/strong> a Roma domani. <\/a>\n <\/em> (Go to Rome tomorrow.)
\n
\n Va\u2019<\/strong> dove ti porta il cuore. <\/a>\n <\/em> (Go wherever you like. [Literally \"Go where your heart brings you.\"])
\n
\n Vai<\/strong> a quel paese! <\/a>\n <\/em> (Stay away from me!\/Get the hell away from me! [Literally \"Go to that land!\"])<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Avere <\/a>\n <\/strong><\/em>\u00a0(to have)<\/td> abbi <\/a>\n <\/strong><\/em> (you have\/have!)<\/td> Abbi<\/strong> cura di te. <\/a>\n <\/em> (Take care of yourself, take a break. [Literally \"Have treatment of you.\"])
\n
\n Abbi<\/strong> pazienza. <\/a>\n <\/em> (Be patient. [Literally \"Have patience.\"])<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Dare <\/a>\n <\/strong><\/em> (to give)<\/td> da' <\/a>\n <\/em><\/strong>\/ dai <\/a>\n <\/strong><\/em> (you give\/give!)<\/td> Da'<\/strong> lo zaino a tuo zio. <\/a>\n <\/em> (Give the backpack to your uncle.)
\n
\n Dai<\/strong> ascolto a tuo padre. <\/a>\n <\/em>\u00a0(Listen to your father. [Literally \"Give listening to your father.\"])
\n
\n Da<\/strong>mmelo. <\/a>\n <\/em> (Give it to me.)
\n
\n Da<\/strong>llo ai tuoi genitori. <\/a>\n <\/em> (Give it to your parents.)<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Dire <\/a>\n <\/strong><\/em>\u00a0(to tell\/to say)<\/td> di' <\/a>\n <\/strong><\/em> (you say\/say!)<\/td> Di\u2019<\/strong> cosa ne pensi del viaggio. <\/a>\n <\/em> (Say what you think of the trip.)
\n
\n Di\u2019<\/strong> la verit\u00e0! <\/a>\n <\/em> (Tell the truth!)
\n
\n Di\u2019<\/strong> la tua. <\/a>\n <\/em> (Say your piece. [Literally \"Tell yours.\"])
\n
\n Di<\/strong>ccelo. <\/a>\n <\/em> (Tell us it.)<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Essere <\/a>\n <\/strong><\/em>\u00a0(to be)<\/td> sii <\/a>\n <\/strong><\/em>* (you are\/be!)<\/td> Sii<\/strong> forte! <\/a>\n <\/em> (Be strong!)
\n
\n Sii<\/strong> cauto. <\/a>\n <\/em> (Be cautious.)<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Fare <\/a>\n <\/strong><\/em> (to do\/to make)<\/td> fa' <\/a>\n <\/strong>\/ fai <\/a>\n <\/strong><\/em> (you do\/do!)<\/td> Fa\u2019<\/strong> quello che vuoi! <\/a>\n <\/em> (Do what you want!)
\n
\n Fai<\/strong> attenzione. <\/a>\n <\/em> (Pay attention.)<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Sapere <\/a>\n <\/strong><\/em>\u00a0(to know)<\/td> sappi <\/a>\n <\/strong><\/em> (you know\/know!)<\/td> Sappi<\/strong> che questa valigia \u00e8 molto pesante e non ti conviene! <\/a>\n <\/em> (Know that this suitcase is very heavy and isn\u2019t right for you!)
\n
\n Sappi<\/strong> che ho passato una bellissima giornata con te. <\/a>\n <\/em> ([You should] know that I have spent a lovely day with you.)<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Stare <\/a>\n <\/strong><\/em>\u00a0(to be [temporarily]\/to be located\/to stay)<\/td> sta' <\/a>\n <\/strong>\/ stai <\/a>\n <\/strong><\/em> (you are\/be!)<\/td> Sta\u2019<\/strong> attento! <\/a>\n <\/em> (Pay attention!)
\n
\n Stai<\/strong> zitto! <\/a>\n <\/em> (Be silent!)
\n
\n Sta\u2019<\/strong> fermo! <\/a>\n <\/em> (Stand there!\/Don\u2019t move! [Literally \"Be stationary!\"])
\n
\n Sta\u2019<\/strong> qui! <\/a>\n <\/em> (Stay here!)<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n\n

*This is a two-syllable word. Remember to pronounce both i’s!<\/p>\n

Negative tu<\/em>\u00a0commands<\/h3>\n

Once\u00a0you’ve mastered the positive\u00a0tu<\/em> commands, things get much easier.<\/p>\n

In all cases, negative\u00a0tu<\/em> commands are simply the same as the imperative form of the verb, with a non<\/em> in front of it.<\/p>\n

So:<\/p>\n

Mischiare<\/em><\/strong> (to mix) \u2192 Non mischiare!\u00a0<\/strong><\/em>(Don’t mix!)<\/p>\n

Non mischiare<\/strong> i frutti di mare con il formaggio!<\/em> (Don\u2019t mix seafood with cheese!)<\/p>\n

Similarly:<\/p>\n

Non sporcare<\/strong> la forchetta!<\/em> (Don\u2019t get the fork dirty!)<\/p>\n

Non ordinare<\/strong>, non siamo ancora pronti.<\/em> (Don\u2019t order; we\u2019re not ready yet.)<\/p>\n

Non bere<\/strong>!<\/em> (Don\u2019t drink.)<\/p>\n

With negative\u00a0tu <\/em>commands, reflexive and object pronouns can come either before or<\/em> after the verb, as you wish.<\/p>\n

If they come after, the final –e<\/em> is removed and they’re written as a single word (as you’ve likely already seen with pronouns added to infinitive forms).<\/p>\n

Non dirmelo<\/strong>!<\/em> \/ Non me lo<\/strong> dire!<\/em> (You don\u2019t say!\/That\u2019s crazy! [Literally “Don\u2019t tell me it!”])<\/p>\n

Here are some more examples with pronouns:<\/p>\n

Non dirmi<\/strong> cosa devo fare!<\/em> (Don\u2019t tell me what to do!)<\/p>\n

Non farlo<\/strong>!<\/em> (Don\u2019t do it!)<\/p>\n

Positive and Negative Lei<\/em> Commands<\/h2>\n

These imperative conjugations are used for telling a single person, formally, what to do.<\/p>\n

If you’ve learned your present subjunctive well, they’re quite easy.<\/p>\n

That’s because the Lei<\/em> form of the indicative is the same as the Lei<\/em> form of the subjunctive (whether regular or irregular, and whether it’s an –are<\/em>, –ere<\/em> or –ire\u00a0<\/em>verb).<\/p>\n

So:<\/p>\n

Prendere <\/em><\/strong>(to take)\u00a0\u2192 prenda <\/strong><\/em>(you take\/take!)<\/p>\n

Prenda<\/strong> il libro. <\/em>(Take the book.)<\/p>\n

Here are more examples of formal commands that you might issue to a single person.<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\t\n\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t
Verb<\/strong><\/th>Lei<\/em> command form<\/strong><\/th>Example<\/strong><\/th>\n<\/tr>\n<\/thead>\n
Preparare <\/strong> <\/a>\n <\/em> (to prepare\/to pack)<\/td> prepari<\/strong> <\/a>\n <\/em> (you prepare\/pack!)<\/td> Prepari<\/strong> lo zaino. <\/a>\n <\/em> (Pack your backpack.)<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Salire <\/strong> <\/a>\n <\/em> (to get in)<\/td> salga<\/strong> <\/a>\n <\/em> (you get in\/get in!)<\/td> Salga<\/strong> in macchina. <\/a>\n <\/em> (Get in the car.)<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Prendere <\/strong> <\/a>\n <\/em> (to take)<\/td> prenda<\/strong> <\/a>\n <\/em> (you take\/take!)<\/td> Prenda<\/strong> le sue cose. <\/a>\n <\/em> (Take your things.)<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Finire<\/strong> <\/a>\n <\/em> (to finish)<\/td> finisca<\/strong> <\/a>\n <\/em> (you finish\/finish!)<\/td> Finisca<\/strong> il suo discorso. <\/a>\n <\/em> (Finish your speech.)<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Uscire<\/strong> <\/a>\n <\/em> (to go out)<\/td> esca<\/strong> <\/a>\n <\/em> (you go out\/get out!)<\/td> Esca<\/strong> da qua. <\/a>\n <\/em> (Get out of here.)<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Bere<\/strong> <\/a>\n <\/em> (to drink)<\/td> beva<\/strong> <\/a>\n <\/em> (you drink\/drink!)<\/td> Beva<\/strong> questa tisana. <\/a>\n <\/em> (Drink this herbal infusion.)<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Lavare<\/strong> <\/a>\n <\/em> (to wash)<\/td> lavi<\/strong> <\/a>\n <\/em> (you wash\/wash!)<\/td> Lavi<\/strong> i piatti. <\/a>\n <\/em> (Wash the dishes.)<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n\n

Negative Lei<\/em>\u00a0commands follow the same pattern.<\/p>\n

Non<\/strong> mi dica<\/strong> questo.<\/em> (Don\u2019t tell me this.)<\/p>\n

Non ordini<\/strong> la pizza.<\/em> (Don\u2019t order the pizza.)<\/p>\n

Non lasci<\/strong> il bagno sporco.<\/em> (Don\u2019t leave the bathroom dirty.)<\/p>\n

Unlike with the other command forms, when addressing someone with Lei<\/em>, the\u00a0pronouns always come before<\/em> the\u00a0verbs.<\/p>\n

Lo<\/strong> prenda!<\/em>\u00a0(Take it!)<\/p>\n

Lo<\/strong> dica!<\/em>\u00a0(Say it!)<\/p>\n

Lo<\/strong> prepari!<\/em>\u00a0(Prepare it!)<\/p>\n

Non lo<\/strong> faccia!<\/em>\u00a0(Don’t do it!)<\/p>\n

Positive and Negative Noi<\/em> and Voi<\/em> Commands<\/h2>\n

Noi<\/em> is the first-person plural (“we”), so it’s used in the command form like an equivalent of “Let’s…”<\/p>\n

Voi<\/em> is the second-person plural, and it’s used for telling two or more people what to do.<\/p>\n

Sometimes, in some southern parts of Italy, especially among older people, voi<\/em> is also the second-person formal singular\u2014and thus used for telling a single person, formally, what to do.<\/p>\n

Noi\u00a0<\/em>and\u00a0voi\u00a0<\/em>imperative conjugations are simply the same as their present tense forms (whether those forms are regular or irregular).<\/p>\n

So when you’re making a suggestion for what to do with your group, you’ll use the same conjugation as the\u00a0noi<\/em>\u00a0present tense, but without actually saying the word\u00a0noi<\/em>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\t\n\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t
Verb<\/strong><\/th>Noi<\/em> conjugation<\/strong><\/th>Example<\/strong><\/th>\n<\/tr>\n<\/thead>\n
Andare <\/a>\n <\/strong><\/em> (to go)<\/td> andiamo <\/a>\n <\/strong><\/em>\u00a0(we go\/let's go!)<\/td> Andiamo<\/strong> al cinema! <\/a>\n <\/em> (Let\u2019s go to the movie theater!)<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Prendere <\/a>\n <\/strong><\/em> (to take)<\/td> Prendiamo <\/a>\n <\/strong><\/em> (we take\/let's take!)<\/td> Prendiamo<\/strong> il treno! <\/a>\n <\/em> (Let\u2019s take the train!)<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Uscire <\/a>\n <\/strong><\/em> (to go out)<\/td> Usciamo <\/a>\n <\/strong><\/em> (we go out\/let's go out!)<\/td> Usciamo! <\/a>\n <\/strong><\/em> (Let\u2019s go out!)<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Cenare <\/a>\n <\/strong><\/em> (to eat dinner\/to dine)<\/td> Ceniamo <\/a>\n <\/strong><\/em> (we have dinner\/let's have dinner!)<\/td> Ceniamo<\/strong> al ristorante! <\/a>\n <\/em> (Let\u2019s dine at the restaurant.)<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n\n

Likewise, when you’re telling a group of people what to do, you use the same conjugation as present-tense voi<\/em>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\t\n\n\t\n\t\n\t
Verb<\/strong><\/th>Voi<\/em> conjugation<\/strong><\/th>Example<\/strong><\/th>\n<\/tr>\n<\/thead>\n
Pulire <\/a>\n <\/strong><\/em> (to clean)<\/td> pulite <\/a>\n <\/strong><\/em>\u00a0(you clean\/clean!)<\/td> Pulite<\/strong> le vostre scarpe. <\/a>\n <\/em> (Clean your shoes.)<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Prendere <\/a>\n <\/strong><\/em> (to take)<\/td> prendete <\/a>\n <\/strong><\/em> (you take\/take!)<\/td> Prendete<\/strong> il percorso riservato alle biciclette. <\/a>\n <\/em> (Take the path that's reserved for bicycles.)<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Andare <\/a>\n <\/strong><\/em> (to go)<\/td> andate <\/a>\n <\/strong><\/em> (you go\/go!)<\/td> Non vi voglio vedere pi\u00f9, andate<\/strong> via! <\/a>\n <\/em>\u00a0(I don't want to see you guys anymore, go away!)<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n\n

The negative forms of noi<\/em> and\u00a0voi <\/em>commands\u00a0are the same.<\/p>\n

Non portiamo<\/strong> troppi pesi nello zaino.<\/em> (Let\u2019s not take too much weight in the backpack.)<\/p>\n

Non andiamo<\/strong> troppo in fretta.<\/em> (Let\u2019s not rush.)<\/p>\n

Non corriamo<\/strong> troppo.<\/em> (Let\u2019s not hurry too much.)<\/p>\n

Pronouns are attached to the end of\u00a0noi<\/em> and\u00a0voi<\/em> commands and the results are written as single words.<\/p>\n

Prendiamolo<\/strong>.<\/em> (Let\u2019s take it.)<\/p>\n

Datemelo<\/strong>!<\/em> (Give it to me!)<\/p>\n

Andatevene<\/strong>!<\/em> (Get out of here!)
\n(This is a tacking-on of both the ve<\/em> and ne<\/em> pronouns; recall that ne\u00a0<\/em>can mean “of something.”)<\/p>\n

There are three irregular voi<\/em> command forms to memorize.<\/p>\n

They might look familiar, though. With these three verbs, instead of using the indicative\u00a0voi<\/em> form for voi\u00a0<\/em>commands, you use the subjunctive.<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\t\n\n\t\n\t\n\t
Verb<\/strong><\/th>Irregular voi<\/em> conjugation<\/strong><\/th>Example<\/strong><\/th>\n<\/tr>\n<\/thead>\n
Avere <\/a>\n <\/strong><\/em> (to have)<\/td> abbiate <\/a>\n <\/strong><\/em> (you have\/have!)<\/td> Abbiate<\/strong> fiducia in me. <\/a>\n <\/em> (Trust me.)<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Essere <\/a>\n <\/strong><\/em> (to be)<\/td> siate <\/a>\n <\/strong><\/em> (you are\/be!)<\/td> Siate<\/strong> pazienti con loro. <\/a>\n <\/em> (Be patient with them.)
\n
\n \"Siate<\/strong> affamati. Siate folli.\" <\/a>\n <\/em> (\"Stay hungry. Stay foolish.\")*<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Sapere <\/a>\n <\/strong><\/em> (to know)<\/td> sappiate <\/a>\n <\/strong><\/em> (you know\/know!)<\/td> Sappiate<\/strong> quando dire no. <\/a>\n <\/em> (Know when to say no.)<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n\n

*This is the typical Italian translation<\/a> of the motivational quote\u00a0made famous by Steve Jobs<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Three Bonus Uses of the Italian Imperative<\/h2>\n

There are three Italian verbs that are sprinkled throughout conversations in their imperative forms.<\/p>\n

They’re so common that they serve more as interjections than what you might think of as “commands.”<\/p>\n

These are:<\/p>\n