The informal imperative in the singular
a) Forms without an ending
In the informal imperative, a distinction is made between the singular and the plural forms. In the singular form, the verb in the second person present tense forms the basis, with the -st ending removed. Verbs with a root that ends in -s, -ß, -z or -x only leave out the -t. In the singular, the informal imperative usually takes no ending.
(Du) wirf(st) deine Liebe in die Stadt. -> Imperativ: Wirf deine Liebe in die Stadt!
(Du) gib(st) jedem Gangster etwas ab. -> Imperativ: Gib jedem Gangster etwas ab!
(Du) küss(t) nicht nur dein Geld. -> Imperativ: Küss nicht nur dein Geld!
Verbs with a vowel change from a to ä don't have an Umlaut in the imperative.
(Du) läss(t) niemanden an dich ran. -> Imperativ: Lass niemanden an dich ran!
(Du) träg(st) dein Geld zur Bank. -> Imperativ: Trag dein Geld zur Bank!
b) Special forms ending in -e
Many imperative forms can be formed with the ending -e. Often it is a matter of style whether we say:
Geh auch mal ein Risiko ein!
oder:
Gehe auch mal ein Risiko ein!
The first variant is more common in spoken language, while we usually find the second in written language. Some imperative forms sound old-fashioned or overly formal when used with the ending
-e.
When a verb ends in -est in the second person singular, the -e remains in the imperative.
(Du) warte(st) auf bessere Zeiten. -> Imperativ: Warte auf bessere Zeiten!
(Du) öffne(st) dein Herz. -> Imperativ: Öffne dein Herz!
When the vowel changes from e to i (i.e., geben -> Gib!), the ending -e cannot be used.
The informal imperative in the plural
When we use the imperative for more than one person, we use the plural form. This can be created using the second-person plural in the present tense. The personal pronoun is not used, but the ending remains the same.
(Ihr) werft eure Liebe in die Stadt. -> Imperativ: Werft eure Liebe in die Stadt!
(Ihr) gebt jedem Gangster etwas ab. -> Imperativ: Gebt jedem Gangster etwas ab!
(Ihr) küsst nicht nur euer Geld. -> Imperativ: Küsst nicht nur euer Geld!
Overview: imperative
The regular forms of imperative are as follows:
| Informal (singular) | Spar(e) nicht an der falschen Stelle! |
| Informal (plural) | Spart nicht an der falschen Stelle! |
| Formal | Sparen Sie nicht an der falschen Stelle! |
The forms of the verb sein are irregular:
| Informal (singular) | Sei mutig! |
| Informal (plural) | Seid mutig! |
| Formal | Seien Sie mutig! |
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Grammatical terms in German: der Imperativ: The imperative is a verb form used to make a request or to give a command or instructions. |