Irregular Imperatives

Level 2Sounds Like nepravilni povelitelni formi

Most commands follow a regular pattern, but a handful of everyday verbs do not: Ела! (Come!), Виж! (Look!), Яж! (Eat!), Дай! (Give!), Влез! (Come in!).

How It Works

1. The common irregular commands (one person — several people or polite):

  • дойда/идвам (come) → ела — елате
  • видя (see) → виж — вижте (look, see)
  • ям (eat) → яж — яжте
  • дам (give) → дай — дайте
  • вляза (go in) → влез — влезте (come in, go in)
  • изляза (go out) → излез — излезте
  • държа (hold) → дръж — дръжте
  • съм (be) → бъди — бъдете
  • отида (go) → иди — идете, and also the regular отиди — отидете

2. Why they matter. These are some of the most frequent words you will hear: Ела тук! (Come here!), Виж! (Look!), Дай ми го. (Give it to me.), Влезте, моля. (Please come in.). Compare the regular pattern in the imperative.

3. Do not build them from the present tense. The present forms ядете (you eat), дадете (you give) and влезете (you come in) are not commands. They appear after да or ще: Искам да влезете. (I want you to come in.) The commands are яжте, дайте, влезте. See the irregular verbs ям and дам.

4. Saying "don't". Negative commands usually use the imperfective partner, which is regular: Не идвай! (Don't come!), Не влизай! (Don't go in!). Ям is already imperfective, so it keeps its short form: Не яж това! (Don't eat that!)

Good to know: мога (can) has no imperative at all.

Examples (6)

  1. Ела тук!

    Come here!

    Ела is the command for "come"; it looks nothing like дойда or идвам.

  2. Елате на гости в неделя.

    Come and visit us on Sunday.

    Елате speaks to several people or politely to one.

  3. Виж какво намерих!

    Look what I found!

    Виж comes from видя (see) and has no -и ending.

  4. Яжте, докато е топло.

    Eat while it is warm.

    Яжте is the plural or polite command of ям.

  5. Дай ми ключа, моля те.

    Give me the key, please.

    Дай comes from дам; the short pronoun ми follows the command.

  6. Влезте, вратата е отворена.

    Come in, the door is open.

    Влезте is the plural or polite command of вляза.

Common Mistakes

  • Using the present-tense form ядете as a command.

    Ядете, докато е топло!
    Яжте, докато е топло!

    Ядете means "you eat". The command form of ям is яж for one person and яжте for several.

  • Using the present-tense form влезете as a command.

    Влезете, моля!
    Влезте, моля!

    Влезете is the present tense used after да (Искам да влезете). The command is влез or влезте.

  • Using the present-tense form дадете as a command.

    Дадете ми химикалката, моля.
    Дайте ми химикалката, моля.

    Дадете belongs after да (Може ли да ми дадете...?). The command form of дам is дай or дайте.

How It Connects

Tap a pattern to see what it builds on and what it leads to.

Irregular ImperativesLevel 2

Learn This First

Irregular imperatives follow the regular pattern.

Words in This Pattern

дойдавидяямдамвляза