Requests and Commands
The imperative mood (императив) is used to give instructions, orders, advice, or polite requests. Serbian has inflected forms for three persons: ти (informal singular), ми (inclusive 'let's'), and ви (plural or formal polite singular).
How It Works
The imperative in Serbian is an essential everyday structure across all registers, from street interactions to official directions.
1. Persons and Synthetic Forms:
Serbian only conjugates synthetic imperative forms for three grammatical persons:
• 2nd singular (ти): Чекај! (Wait!), Ради! (Work!) — for informal single addressees.
• 1st plural (ми): Чекајмо! (Let's wait!), Радимо! (Let's work!) — hortative directives.
• 2nd plural (ви): Чекајте! (Wait!), Радите! (Work!) — used for groups or as polite singular address (ти и учтиво ви).
2. Politeness and Pragmatics:
Using direct commands is standard and not considered rude in Serbian service situations or daily life, provided you use the polite 2nd person plural ending -ите / -јте, usually accompanied by молим вас ('please') or paired with polite forms like извините.
3. Third-Person Directives:
Because Serbian has no synthetic 3rd person imperative form, indirect orders ('let him do it', 'let them speak') use the modal particle clause нека + презент (e.g., Нека уђе!).
4. Prohibition and Warnings (Negative Directives):
Direct prohibitions of ongoing or intentional actions typically use imperfective verbs with не (e.g., Не чекајте! 'Don't wait!'). However, direct negative imperatives with perfective verbs are fully standard for warnings and cautions against accidental or unwanted outcomes (e.g., Не заборави! 'Don't forget!', Не падни! 'Don't fall!'). In addition, немој; немојте + инфинитив или да provides a very common directive structure that works naturally with both aspects (e.g., perfective: Немој да заборавиш!; imperfective: Немој да бринеш!).
Examples (4)
- Дођи код нас вечерас, молим те.
Come over to our place tonight, please.
Word by Word: Come to us tonight, I beg you.
Informal singular command (2sg) using the consonant-stem ending -и on the verb доћи.
- Сачекајте тренутак овде, господине Јовановићу.
Wait a moment here, Mr. Jovanović.
Word by Word: Wait moment here, Mr. Jovanović.
Polite singular address to an elder or stranger using the 2nd person plural imperative ending -јте combined with the vocative case.
- Пожуримо, аутобус ускоро стиже.
Let's hurry; the bus is arriving soon.
Word by Word: Let-us-hurry, bus soon arrives.
1st person plural (1pl) hortative ending -имо used for an inclusive suggestion ('let us').
- Помозите ми да отворим овај прозор.
Help me open this window.
Word by Word: Help to-me that I-open this window.
Demonstrates the consonant change (сибиларизација) where the stem consonant г shifts to з before -ите (помог- → помозите).
Common Mistakes
Using the informal singular 'ти' command with a stranger.
Different MeaningКонобару, донеси рачун!Конобару, донесите рачун, молим вас!'Конобару, донеси рачун!' is correct Serbian, but it uses the informal 'ти' form, which sounds blunt to a stranger. In service and formal settings the polite plural is usual: 'донесите'. Among friends, or if you already say 'ти' to the waiter, 'донеси' is fine.
Using the present tense ending -ате instead of the imperative -ајте on vowel-stem verbs.
Слушате пажљиво!Слушајте пажљиво!The indicative present is 'слушате' (you are listening), but the command requires the imperative marker -ј-: 'слушајте!' (listen!).
Directly negating a perfective synthetic imperative with 'не'.
Не отвори прозор!Немој да отвориш прозор!A negative command for a specific bounded action cannot be formed with 'не' + perfective imperative. Instead, use 'немој(те) да + презент' (or an imperfective verb: 'Не отварај!').
How It Connects
Learn This First
To form and correctly use commands in Serbian, you must know how verbs conjugate in the present tense to find the verb stem, and you must understand the social difference between addressing someone informally (ti) versus politely or in a group (vi).
- Regular Present Tense
Imperative stems and endings in Serbian are derived directly from the present tense conjugation stem of verbs.
Level 1 - ти / виInformal and Polite You
Understanding the distinction between informal addressing (ти) and formal/plural addressing (ви) is essential to correctly choosing between singular (-ј/-и) and plural (-јте/-ите) imperative endings.
Level 1
Related Patterns
- немој / немојте + Infinitive / да + Present-Tense VerbNegative Requests
The primary construction used in Serbian to express negative requests and prohibitions, especially with perfective verbs.
Level 2 - нека + Present-Tense VerbLet Someone Act
Used to express commands, wishes, and instructions directed at a 3rd party ('let him/them do it'), filling the gap where Serbian lacks synthetic imperative forms.
Level 3 - хвала / молим / извинитеPolite Everyday Phrases
Everyday polite formulaic words frequently paired with synthetic imperatives to soften commands into courtesy requests.
Level 1 - Aspect in Negative Directives
Governs the choice between aspect pairs and structures when turning an affirmative command into a negative prohibition.
Level 5
Learn Next
Patterns that build on this one.
Practice Requests and Commands in Bubblegum
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