Imperatives are commands. German commands are given to the second person, and they have to conform to the second-person pronouns du, ihr, and Sie. For most verbs, the imperative for du comprises the stem of the infinitive plus an -e ending. In casual speech the -e ending is often dropped. The imperative for ihr is the same as its present-tense conjugation.
The verbs haben, sein, and werden require special consideration.
Another form of imperative is one widely used on signs or by officials speaking to a group. This imperative is the infinitive of the verb, and like all German imperatives, it is followed by an exclamation point. For example, a sign on a wall:
This is also true for the imperative for Sie, except that the pronoun Sie always follows the imperative verb. Remember that du is used to address children, close friends, or family members. Use ihr when addressing more than one child, friend, or family member. Use Sie when addressing strangers, officials, or others you are on a formal basis with. Let’s look at some example verbs.
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du
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ihr
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Sie
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Kaufe! (Kauf)
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Kauft!
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Kaufen Sie!
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Buy!
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Lache! (Lach)
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Lacht!
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Lachen Sie!
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Laugh!
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Besuche! (Besuch)
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Besucht!
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Besuchen Sie!
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Visit!
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If the verb has an inseparable prefix, like the verb besuchen in the previous example, the verb is not affected in any way. But if the verb has a separable prefix, the prefix stands at the end of the phrase.
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du
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ihr
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Sie
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Höre auf! (Hör)
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Hört auf!
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Hören Sie auf!
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Stop!
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Komme mit! (Komm)
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Kommt mit!
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Kommen Sie mit!
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Come along!
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Stehe auf! (Steh)
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Steht auf!
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Stehen Sie auf!
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Stand up!
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Irregular verbs are treated similarly, but those that make a vowel change in the present tense show that change in the imperative form for du. In addition, verbs that have a vowel change in the present tense do not have an -e ending in the imperative for du. The umlaut in the present tense of certain irregular verbs does not affect the imperative. For example:
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du
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ihr
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Sie
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Gib!
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Gebt!
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Geben Sie!
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Give!
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Befiehl!
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Befehlt!
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Befehlen Sie!
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Order!
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Sprich aus!
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Sprecht aus!
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Sprechen Sie aus!
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Pronounce!
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Halte! (Halt)
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Haltet!
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Halten Sie!
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Hold!
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The omission of the final -e of the imperative form for du in casual speech cannot occur with certain verbs. Regular verbs that end in -eln, -ern, -nen, -igen, or -men cannot omit the final -e. Consider the following examples:
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lächeln
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Lächele!
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Smile!
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kümmern
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Kümmere!
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Worry!
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öffnen
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Öffne!
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Open!
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reinigen
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Reinige!
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Clean!
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atmen
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Atme!
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Breathe!
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The verbs haben, sein, and werden require special consideration.
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du
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ihr
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Sie
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Habe!
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Habt!
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Haben Sie!
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Have!
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Sei!
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Seid!
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Seien Sie!
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Be!
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Werde!
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Werdet!
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Werden Sie!
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Become!
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Another form of imperative is one widely used on signs or by officials speaking to a group. This imperative is the infinitive of the verb, and like all German imperatives, it is followed by an exclamation point. For example, a sign on a wall:
Nicht rauchen! No smoking.
The stationmaster speaking to a crowd on the platform as a train comes in:
Zurückbleiben! Stand back.