L’imperativo informale
Lavate i piatti! (Wash the dishes!)
Non dormire in classe! (Don’t sleep in class!)
Andiamo al mare! (Let’s go to the beach!)
We use the imperativo to give orders, commands, instructions, or recommendations to other people. We form the imperativo informale for the second person singular or plural (tu / voi) and for the first person plural (noi).
The imperative of regular verbs is similar to the presente indicativo, except for the second person singular of verbs in -are.
| amare | leggere | dormire | |
| tu | am-a | legg-i | dorm-i |
| noi | am-iamo | legg-iamo | dorm-iamo |
| voi | am-ate | legg-ete | dorm-ite |
Essere, avere and sapere are irregular:
| essere | avere | sapere | |
| tu | sii | abbi | sappi |
| noi | siamo | abbiamo | sappiamo |
| voi | siate | abbiate | sapete |
IMPORTANT: to form the informal imperative, you always need to start from the verb in the present indicative. Verbs that are irregular in the present indicative, are also irregular in the imperative. For example: giocare → giochiamo!; finire → finisci!; uscire → esci!
The imperative of the verbs andare, dire, dare and fare are semi-irregular in the second person singular (tu). The following forms can interchangeably be used:
| andare | dare | dire | fare | |
| tu | vai / va’ | dai / da’ | di | fai / fa’ |
To create the negative form of the imperative for the second person singular, we use non + infinitive. We use non + imperative for all the other persons:
- Non pulire il pavimento (Don’t clean the floor)
- Non andiamo a scuola! (Don’t go to school)
- Non mangiate troppa pizza! (Don’t eat too much pizza!)
L’imperativo e i pronomi
Comprami un gelato! (Buy me an ice-cream!)
Dammi una mano! (Give me a hand!)
Aiutatemi! (Help me!)
Non comprarmi un vestito! (Don’t buy me a dress!)
Non le dare la cioccolata! (Don’t give her the chocolate!)
Verbs in the imperative mode can be combined with pronouns. Pronouns are always attached to the end of the verb in the positive imperative form.
Pronouns can be either between “non” and the verb or attached to the end of the verb in the negative imperative form.
When we use the imperative of the verbs dire, dare and fare in the second person singular (tu) with a direct or indirect pronoun, the initial letter of the pronoun will be doubled, except for gli. For example:
| dare | dire | fare | |
| mi | dammi | dimmi | fammi |
| ti | datti | – | fatti |
| lo/la | dallo/dalla | dillo/dilla | fallo/falla |
| ci | dacci | dicci | facci |
| vi | – | – | – |
| gli/le | dagli/dalle | digli/dille | fagli/falle |
I pronomi combinati
Presto la penna a voi. (I lend you a pen)
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- Vi presto la penna. (I lend you a pen) – indirect object
- La presto a voi. (I lend it to you) – direct object
- Ve la presto. (I lend it to you) – both direct and indirect objects
Two object pronouns can be combined in a sentence. When we combine direct and indirect object pronouns, the indirect object pronoun comes first and it changes its ending.
To form the combined pronouns:
| lo | la | li | le | |
| mi | me lo | me la | me li | me le |
| ti | te lo | te la | te li | te le |
| le/gli | glielo | gliela | glieli | gliele |
| ci | ce lo | ce la | ce li | ce le |
| vi | ve lo | ve la | ve li | ve le |
| gli | glielo | gliela | glieli | gliele |
All the rules that apply to direct and indirect pronouns also work with combined pronouns:
1) When combined pronouns are used with the passato prossimo of verbs that want the auxiliary verb avere, the past particle changes depending on the gender and number of the object. For example:
-Hai riportato i libri alla professoressa? -Avete comprato il gelato a mamma?
-Sì, glieli ho riportati. -Sì, gliel’abbiamo comprato stamattina.
The combined pronouns always go before the conjugated verb. However, when there is a verb + infinitive, it can go either before the conjugated verb or be attached to the end of the infinitive after you have dropped the last letter of the infinite. For example:
Devo comprare un regalo a Michele → 1) Devo comprarglielo
2) Glielo devo comprare
