Indefinite Imperative

The indefinite imperative is used when a verb has no object, the object is indefinite (e.g., 'a book'), or the object is 'me' (engem), 'us' (minket), 'you' (téged), or 'you all' (titeket) — with the exception of 'I' subjects acting on 'you' objects, which use the -lak/-lek ending. Note that 3rd person pronouns ('him', 'her', 'it', 'them' — őt, őket, azt, azokat) trigger the definite imperative. Note that in Hungarian, the imperative and subjunctive moods share the exact same conjugation.

1. Basic Endings:
The endings follow vowel harmony:

• 1st Sg: -jak / -jek (Shall I...?)
• 2nd Sg: -j (Short form) or -jál / -jél (Long form). The short form is the standard, everyday default used in almost all contexts, while the long form is much less common.
• 3rd Sg: -jon / -jen / -jön (Let him/her...). For -ik verbs, there is also a formal/written ending -jék (e.g., aludjék, egyék).
• 1st Pl: -junk / -jünk (Let's...)
• 2nd Pl: -jatok / -jetek (You all...)
• 3rd Pl: -janak / -jenek (Let them...)

2. Sibilant Assimilation:
If a stem ends in -s, -sz, -z, -zs, -dz, or clusters like -st, -szt, the -j marker disappears and doubles the sibilant. For -st and -szt clusters, the -t is dropped before doubling the sibilant. For example, olvas + -j becomes olvass!, fest + -jek becomes fessek, and edz + -j becomes eddz!. This is known as sibilant assimilation.

3. T-ending Stems:
Stems ending in -t (excluding the -st and -szt clusters mentioned above) change to -ss after short vowels (fut → fuss!). After consonants or long vowels, they change to -ts (tanít → taníts!, fűt → fűts!). The verbs lát (to see) and bocsát (to forgive/emit) are irregular exceptions: despite having a long vowel before the -t (which would normally take -ts), they act like short-vowel stems and take -ss instead (láss!, bocsáss!).

4. Word Order:
In commands, the verbal prefix must move after the verb (e.g., Menj be! instead of the indicative bemész).

5. Negation:
To form a negative command, use ne instead of nem (e.g., Ne várj! - Don't wait!). For 'neither/nor' commands, use se instead of sem. In negative commands with prefixed verbs, the prefix still splits and goes after the verb (e.g., Ne menj be!).

6. Subjunctive Function:
This mood is also used after hogy (that) when expressing a wish or necessity: Azt akarom, hogy várj. (I want [that] you wait). Unlike in direct commands, when the imperative is used as a subjunctive in these clauses, verbal prefixes typically do not split (e.g., Azt akarom, hogy bemenj, not hogy menj be). However, if the subjunctive clause is negative, the prefix MUST split (e.g., Azt akarom, hogy ne menj be.).

7. Irregular Verbs:
Several common verbs have unique imperative stems that you should become confident with:

• van (to be) → legyek, legyél/légy, legyen, legyünk, legyetek, legyenek
• megy (to go) → menjek, menj, menjen...
• jön (to come) → jöjjek, gyere (standard) / jöjj (literary), jöjjön, gyerünk, gyertek, jöjjenek
• eszik (to eat) → egyek, egyél, egyen...
• iszik (to drink) → igyak, igyál, igyon...
• tesz (to put/do) → tegyek, tégy/tegyél, tegyen, tegyünk, tegyetek, tegyenek
• vesz (to buy/take) → vegyek, végy/vegyél, vegyen, vegyünk, vegyetek, vegyenek
• visz (to take/carry) → vigyek, vígy/vigyél, vigyen, vigyünk, vigyetek, vigyenek