Commands and the Imperative

The imperativo (imperative mood) is used to give commands, instructions, invitations, and suggestions. While it is a separate mood from the subjunctive, the two are closely connected: formal commands in Italian actually use the subjunctive forms.

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Overview of the Imperative

Person	When You Use It	Type
tu	Informal commands to one person	Direct imperative
noi	"Let's..." suggestions	Direct imperative
voi	Commands to a group (informal)	Direct imperative
Lei	Formal commands to one person	Uses subjunctive
Loro	Very formal commands to a group	Uses subjunctive

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Informal Imperative: Tu

For tu commands, the forms are straightforward:

-ARE verbs: use the indicative tu form (ending in -a)

Verb	Tu Indicative	Tu Imperative	Example
parlare	parli	Parla!	Parla più lentamente! (Speak more slowly!)
guardare	guardi	Guarda!	Guarda qui! (Look here!)
ascoltare	ascolti	Ascolta!	Ascolta bene! (Listen well!)

-ERE and -IRE verbs: same as the indicative tu form