Informal Singular Commands

Level 2

Use the imperative to tell someone to do something. It is usually formed by taking the 3rd-person singular present form and dropping the final vowel or adding -j.

How It Works

1. Formation from the Stem
To form the imperative, it is often easiest to start with the 3rd-person singular (on/ona/ono) present tense form of the verb. For many verbs, you simply drop the final -e, -i, or -y to find the command form. Use the actual imperative stem, not deletion alone. When a final -i signals a soft consonant, removing the vowel requires the acute spelling: płaci → płać, chodzi → chodź. When -e follows a consonant-plus-i sequence, remove -e and replace that spelling with the acute: niesie → nieś. Labials are hard in zero-ending forms such as robi → rób, but remain soft before retained i in forms such as śpi → śpij. Some stems also show lexical vowel changes such as o→ó.

  • niesie (he carries) → drop -e, si becomes ś → nieś! (carry!)
  • robi (he does) → drop -i, bi becomes hard b, and closed syllable shifts o to ó → rób! (do/make!)
  • pisze (he writes) → drop -e → pisz! (write!)

2. The Three Main Types

  • Zero Ending: The most common. Many verbs use a consonant-ending imperative stem; apply the appropriate spelling and stem changes (e.g., mówi → mów! - speak!).
  • -aj Ending: Used for verbs where the 3rd-person singular ends in -a. Instead of dropping it, add a -j (e.g., czyta → czytaj! - read!, czeka → czekaj! - wait!).
  • -ij / -yj Ending: Usually used when dropping the vowel leaves a cluster of consonants that is hard to pronounce. You drop the final vowel and add -ij or -yj (e.g., zamknie → imperative stem zamkn- + -ij → zamknij! - close!, wyśle → drop -e, add -ij → wyślij! - send!).

3. Irregular Imperatives
Some high-frequency verbs have irregular stems in the imperative:

  • być → bądź! (be!)
  • mieć → miej! (have!)
  • jeść → jedz! (eat!)
  • wiedzieć → wiedz! (know!)
  • wziąć → weź! (take!)

4. Aspect in Commands
The choice between imperfective and perfective aspect is crucial. Use imperfective for ongoing or repeated actions, and perfective for a single, completed result. Negative commands ('Don't do...') almost always use the imperfective aspect. However, there is a crucial exception: negative perfective imperatives are used for warnings against accidental actions (e.g., Nie zapomnij! - Don't forget!, Nie upadnij! - Don't fall!).

5. Social Nuance
Using a bare imperative can sound blunt. To be more polite while remaining informal, you can add the word proszę (please). Conversely, adding the particle no (e.g., no chodź! - come on!) adds urgency, impatience, or encouragement, and can sometimes sound pushy. Never use these informal command forms with people you address as Pan or Pani. Instead, to give a formal command, use niech followed by pan/pani and the 3rd-person verb (e.g., Niech pan usiądzie - Please sit down, sir), or simply use proszę with the infinitive.

The -em/-esz class has its own imperative models: rozumiem, rozumiesz → rozumiej! (understand), umiem, umiesz → umiej! (know how). The irregular jeść → jedz and wiedzieć → wiedz must be learned separately. Do not apply the vowel-deletion shortcut to rozumie.

Examples (5)

  1. Czekaj chwilę, muszę coś sprawdzić.

    Wait a second, I have to check something.

    Word by Word: Wait moment, I must something to check.

    Uses the -aj ending because the verb 'czekać' follows the -am/-asz conjugation pattern.

  2. Mów głośniej, bo cię nie słyszę.

    Speak louder, because I can't hear you.

    Word by Word: Speak louder, because you not I hear.

    A standard 'zero ending' imperative formed from 'mówią' (they speak).

  3. Nie martw się, wszystko będzie dobrze.

    Don't worry, everything will be fine.

    Word by Word: Not worry yourself, everything will be well.

    Negative commands use the imperfective aspect. 'Martw się' is the imperative of the reflexive verb 'martwić się'.

  4. Podaj mi sól, proszę.

    Pass me the salt, please.

    Word by Word: Pass to me salt, please.

    Adding 'proszę' softens the command into a polite request.

  5. Rób to, co ci mówię!

    Do what I'm telling you!

    Word by Word: Do that, what to you I tell!

    Notice the 'o' to 'ó' change: the stem is 'robi-', but the imperative is 'rób'.

Common Mistakes

  • Using the present tense 'ty' form instead of the imperative.

    Piszesz list!
    Pisz list!

    Pisz is the morphological imperative. Piszesz list is a present-tense statement, although a statement can acquire command force in a suitable context; it is not the imperative form being practiced.

  • Using the perfective aspect for negative commands.

    Nie zrób tego!
    Nie rób tego!

    For an ordinary prohibition, use Nie rób tego. Perfective negative commands are possible when warning against a specific unwanted result, so Nie zrób tego is not excluded in every context.

  • Using informal commands with strangers or superiors.

    Siadaj, Pan!
    Niech Pan siada.

    Using the 'ty' imperative with someone you should address as 'Pan' or 'Pani' is considered rude. Use 'Niech' or 'Proszę' instead.

How It Connects

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Informal Singular CommandsLevel 2

Learn This First

Learn Present Second-Person Singular before Informal Singular Commands.