Commands to One Person

Level 2

Take the oni form and drop the ending: robia → Rob!, čítajú → Čítaj!, píšu → Píš! If that is hard to say, add -i: pozrú → Pozri!

How It Works

How to form it

  1. Take the oni (they) form of the present tense.
  2. Drop the ending -ú, -u, -ia or -a.
  • robiť → oni robia → Rob! (Do!)
  • čítať → oni čítajú → Čítaj! (Read!)
  • písať → oni píšu → Píš! (Write!)
  • pracovať → oni pracujú → Pracuj! (Work!)
  • hovoriť → oni hovoria → Hovor! (Speak!)
  • stáť → oni stoja → Stoj! (Stop! Stand still!)

Adding -i

If what remains ends in two or more consonants that are hard to say together, add -i:

  • pozrú → Pozri! (Look!)
  • spia → Spi! (Sleep!)
  • sadnú si → Sadni si! (Sit down!)
  • pošlú → Pošli! (Send!)

Soft endings

With -ia verbs, a final d, t, n or l stays soft and gets a caron: vrátia → Vráť! (Give it back!), zmenia → Zmeň! (Change it!).

Irregular commands

  • byť → Buď! (Be!)
  • jesť → Jedz! (Eat!)
  • vedieť → Vedz! (Know!) and povedať → Povedz! (Tell me! Say it!)
  • ísť → Choď! (Go!), also Iď!, which is less common. Poď! means come, toward the speaker.

Being polite

A bare command can sound abrupt, so add prosím (please): Podaj mi, prosím, soľ. (Pass me the salt, please.) With someone you address as vy, use the -te form, see Commands With -te and -me and Informal ty and Polite vy.

For negative commands, see Negative Commands.

Examples (6)

  1. Pozri, prší!

    Look, it's raining!

    Pozrú → pozr is hard to say, so -i is added: pozri.

  2. Čítaj nahlas, prosím.

    Read aloud, please.

    Čítajú → čítaj. Prosím softens the command.

  3. Napíš mi, keď prídeš domov.

    Text me when you get home.

    Word by Word: Write to-me, when you-come home.

    Napíšu → napíš.

  4. Buď ticho!

    Be quiet!

    Buď is the irregular command of byť.

  5. Poď sem!

    Come here!

    Poď calls someone toward the speaker.

  6. Jedz, kým je to teplé.

    Eat while it's warm.

    Jedz is the irregular command of jesť.

Common Mistakes

  • Using the present form si instead of the command buď.

    Si ticho!
    Buď ticho!

    Si means you are. The command form of byť is buď.

  • Dropping the ending without adding -i after a consonant group.

    Pozr!
    Pozri!

    When the stem ends in a group of consonants that is hard to say, such as zr, add -i: pozri, spi, sadni si.

  • Keeping the -i after a single consonant.

    Robi to!
    Rob to!

    Robia loses its whole ending -ia, leaving rob. The -i is added only after a hard-to-say consonant group.

How It Connects

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

Commands to One PersonLevel 2

Learn This First

Before Commands to One Person, learn Present Verbs in -ím. Commands are built from the present stem: robia → rob.

Learn Next

Patterns that build on this one.

Words in This Pattern

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