Imperativo in Italian: How to Give Commands (Pronouns + Irregulars Included)

The imperativo is the “do it!” mood: Vieni! (Come!), Ascolta! (Listen!), Non parlare! (Don’t talk!).

It’s high‑impact for everyday Italian and for exams (role‑plays, instructions, polite requests).

Table of contents

• What the imperativo is (and what forms matter)
• Regular forms: -are / -ere / -ire
• Negative commands: Non + ...
• Pronoun placement: dimmelo vs me lo dica
• Irregular imperatives you must know
• Practice drills (with answer key)
• Quick cheat‑sheet

What the imperativo is (and what forms matter)

In theory, Italian has many imperative forms. In practice, for learners, you mostly need:

Person	When you use it	Example
tu	informal: friends, family	Vieni qui!
Lei	polite/formal	Venga qui, per favore.
noi	“let’s …”	Andiamo!
voi	talking to a group	Venite qui!

Important: the Lei imperative is built from the present subjunctive (congiuntivo presente):

• parlare → (Lei) parli
• prendere → (Lei) prenda
• dormire → (Lei) dorma

Regular forms: -are / -ere / -ire

Here are the patterns you’ll use constantly. Start by learning one clear example per conjugation.

-ARE example: parlare (to speak)

Person	Imperative	Example in a sentence
tu	parla	Parla più lentamente.
Lei	parli	Parli più lentamente, per favore.
noi	parliamo	Parliamo di questo domani.
voi	parlate	Parlate uno alla volta.

-ERE example: prendere (to take)

Person	Imperative	Example in a sentence
tu	prendi	Prendi un caffè.
Lei	prenda	Prenda un caffè, se vuole.
noi	prendiamo	Prendiamo il treno delle otto.
voi	prendete	Prendete questa strada.

-IRE example: dormire (to sleep)

Person	Imperative	Example in a sentence
tu	dormi	Dormi un po’ di più.
Lei	dorma	Dorma bene, signora.
noi	dormiamo	Dormiamo presto stasera.
voi	dormite	Dormite qui, se volete.

Tip: if you can produce 10 correct commands fast (Parla! Prendi! Dormi!), your speaking fluency improves immediately.

Negative commands: Non + ...

Negative imperatives are where many learners hesitate. Here are the rules you actually use:

Negative with tu: non + infinitive is the safest

• Non parlare così forte. — Don’t speak so loudly.
• Non prendere la macchina oggi. — Don’t take the car today.
• Non dormire sul divano! — Don’t sleep on the couch!

You will also hear negative forms like Non parlare! vs Non parlare (same words; the difference is tone/punctuation). In everyday Italian, non + infinitive is the go‑to for tu.

Negative with Lei / noi / voi

• (Lei) Non parli adesso. — Please don’t speak now.
• (noi) Non parliamo di lavoro stasera. — Let’s not talk about work tonight.
• (voi) Non prendete quella strada. — Don’t take that road.

Pronoun placement: dimmelo vs me lo dica

This is the part that makes imperatives feel “advanced.” The good news: there are only two main patterns.

1) Affirmative tu / noi / voi: pronouns usually attach after the verb

Think: command + “stick the pronouns on the end.”

Meaning	Base	With pronouns
Tell me it	di’	dimmelo
Give me it	dai	dammelo
Take it	prendi	prendilo
Bring it to me	porta	portamelo
Let’s do it	facciamo	facciamolo

More natural examples:

• Passami il sale. — Pass me the salt.
• Spiegamelo un’altra volta. — Explain it to me one more time.
• Mandaglielo oggi. — Send it to him today. (gli + lo → glielo)

2) Formal Lei: pronouns go before the verb

With Lei, you treat it like other finite verbs (pronouns in front):

• Me lo dica, per favore. — Please tell me it.
• Ce lo porti domani. — Bring it to us tomorrow.
• Glielo mandi via email. — Send it to him by email.

Negative + pronouns: two common options

With negatives (especially tu), you’ll see both. Both are used in real Italian:

• Non lo fare. — Don’t do it.
• Non farlo. — Don’t do it. (pronoun attached)

Irregular imperatives you must know

These show up everywhere: directions, advice, instructions, “life admin” Italian.

essere (to be) and avere (to have)

Verb	tu	Lei	noi	voi
essere	sii	sia	siamo	siate
avere	abbi	abbia	abbiamo	abbiate

• Sii paziente. — Be patient.
• Abbi fiducia. — Have trust / be confident.
• (Lei) Sia gentile. — Please be kind.

andare, fare, dire, dare, stare

Verb	tu (common)	Lei	noi	voi
andare	vai / va’	vada	andiamo	andate
fare	fai / fa’	faccia	facciamo	fate
dire	di’	dica	diciamo	dite
dare	dai / da’	dia	diamo	date
stare	stai / sta’	stia	stiamo	state

Examples you can steal:

• Va’ piano! — Go slowly!
• Facciamo una pausa. — Let’s take a break.
• Di’ la verità. — Tell the truth.
• Da’ un’occhiata. — Take a look.
• Stia tranquillo, va tutto bene. — Please stay calm, everything is fine.

Practice drills (with answer key)

Do these out loud. The goal is speed + correctness, not perfection.

Drill 1 — Choose tu vs Lei

1. (to a friend) ______ (venire) qui! → ______ qui!
2. (to a receptionist) ______ (prendere) un numero, per favore. → ______ un numero, per favore.
3. (to a friend) ______ (fare) attenzione! → ______ attenzione!
4. (to an older neighbor) ______ (dire) la verità. → ______ la verità.

Drill 2 — Add pronouns (natural Italian)

1. Dire + “me lo” (tu): ______
2. Dare + “me lo” (tu): ______
3. Mandare + “glielo” (Lei): ______
4. Portare + “ce lo” (voi): ______

Answer key (one good set)

• Drill 1: 1) Vieni 2) Prenda 3) Fa’ / Fai 4) Dica
• Drill 2: 1) dimmelo 2) dammelo 3) Glielo mandi 4) Portatecelo / portatecelo (informal capitalization optional)

Quick cheat‑sheet

Situation	Best rule to remember	Example
Informal command (tu)	-are → -a; -ere/-ire → -i	Parla! Prendi! Dormi!
Formal command (Lei)	Use present subjunctive	Parli, prenda, dorma
Negative (tu)	Non + infinitive	Non parlare.
Pronouns (tu/noi/voi) affirmative	Attach pronouns after	Spiegamelo.
Pronouns (Lei)	Pronouns before	Me lo dica.

If you want a fast next step: pick 5 verbs you use daily (andare, fare, dire, prendere, aspettare) and write 3 commands for each: one tu, one Lei, one with a pronoun (like me lo).