What is Imperative Form?
Imperative form (命令形) is the direct command form. It's very strong and blunt, rarely used in polite conversation.
食べろ！(tabero!) - Eat!
行け！(ike!) - Go!
しろ！(shiro!) - Do it!
Warning: Very rough! Use carefully!
When is Imperative Used?
1. Emergency Situations
逃げろ！
"Run!" / "Escape!"
止まれ！
"Stop!"
助けを呼べ！
"Call for help!"
2. Military/Sports Commands
走れ！
"Run!"
頑張れ！
"Do your best!" / "Go for it!"
行け！
"Go!"
3. Very Casual (Male Speech)
早く来い！
"Come quickly!"
ちょっと待て
"Wait a sec"
4. Written Commands (Signs)
止まれ (road sign)
"Stop"
押せ (on doors/buttons)
"Push"
引け (on doors)
"Pull"
Conjugation Rules
Ichidan Verbs
Drop る, add ろ or よ:
食べる → 食べろ (tabero) - Eat!
見る → 見ろ (miro) - Look!
寝る → 寝ろ (nero) - Sleep!
起きる → 起きろ (okiro) - Wake up!
Alternative: Add よ instead (more forceful)
食べる → 食べよ
見る → 見よ
Godan Verbs
Change -u to -e:
書く → 書け (kaku → kake) - Write!
kak-u → kak-e
読む → 読め (yomu → yome) - Read!
yom-u → yom-e
話す → 話せ (hanasu → hanase) - Speak!
hanas-u → hanas-e
買う → 買え (kau → kae) - Buy!
ka-u → ka-e
待つ → 待て (matsu → mate) - Wait!
mat-u → mat-e
遊ぶ → 遊べ (asobu → asobe) - Play!
asob-u → asob-e
帰る → 帰れ (kaeru → kaere) - Go home!
kaer-u → kaer-e
泳ぐ → 泳げ (oyogu → oyoge) - Swim!
oyog-u → oyog-e
行く → 行け (iku → ike) - Go!
ik-u → ik-e
Irregular Verbs
する → しろ (shiro) - Do it!
来る → 来い (こい, koi) - Come!
Complete Conjugation Chart
| Dictionary | E-row | Imperative | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 書く | kak-e | 書け | Write! |
| 読む | yom-e | 読め | Read! |
| 話す | hanas-e | 話せ | Speak! |
| 買う | ka-e | 買え | Buy! |
| 食べる | tabe | 食べろ | Eat! |
| 見る | mi | 見ろ | Look! |
| する | - | しろ | Do it! |
| 来る | - | 来い | Come! |
Polite Alternatives
DON'T use imperative in polite situations!
Use these instead:
～てください (Please do)
食べてください
"Please eat" (polite)
座ってください
"Please sit" (polite)
～なさい (Softer command)
食べなさい
"Eat" (parental, teacher → student)
勉強しなさい
"Study" (less harsh than imperative)
～て (Casual request)
ちょっと待って
"Wait a sec" (casual but not rude)
見て見て！
"Look, look!" (friendly)
Common Imperative Expressions
Emergency
危ない！逃げろ！
"Dangerous! Run!"
止まれ！
"Stop!"
助けて！
"Help!" (te-form, not imperative)
Sports/Encouragement
頑張れ！
"Do your best!" / "Go for it!"
行け！
"Go!" / "You can do it!"
走れ！
"Run!"
負けるな！
"Don't lose!"
Casual Commands (Male)
早く来い
"Come quickly"
黙れ
"Shut up" (very rude!)
やれ
"Do it"
待て
"Wait"
Signs and Written Commands
押せ
"Push" (on doors/buttons)
引け
"Pull" (on doors)
止まれ
"Stop" (traffic sign)
入るな
"Do not enter"
Common Mistakes
Mistake 1: Using in Polite Conversation
Wrong: 食べろ (to stranger/superior) ❌
Right: 食べてください ✓
"Please eat"
Imperative is TOO STRONG for normal use!
Mistake 2: Wrong E-row Conjugation
Wrong: 書く → 書くろ ❌
Right: 書く → 書け ✓
Wrong: 読む → 読むろ ❌
Right: 読む → 読め ✓
Mistake 3: Using with Superiors
Wrong: 先生、見ろ！ ❌
Right: 先生、見てください ✓
"Teacher, please look"
NEVER use imperative with superiors!
Imperative vs Other Command Forms
| Form | Strength | Usage |
|---|---|---|
| 食べろ | Very strong | Emergency/rough |
| 食べなさい | Medium | Parents/teachers |
| 食べて | Casual | Friends |
| 食べてください | Polite | Normal requests |
| 食べてくださいませ | Very polite | Customer service |
Gender Differences
Male Speech
More likely to use imperative:
来い！
"Come!"
やれ！
"Do it!"
Female Speech
Rarely uses imperative, prefers:
来て！
"Come!" (te-form)
やってよ！
"Do it!" (te-form + yo)
Softening Imperative
Add particles to soften:
食べろよ
"Eat" (casual encouragement)
行けよ
"Go" (less harsh)
待てって！
"Wait, I said!" (emphatic but less rude)
Conversation Examples
Example 1: Emergency
A: 火事だ！
"Fire!"
B: 早く逃げろ！
"Run quickly!"
A: 消防署を呼べ！
"Call the fire department!"
Example 2: Sports
Coach: 走れ！頑張れ！
"Run! Do your best!"
Player: はい！
"Yes!"
Coach: 諦めるな！最後まで行け！
"Don't give up! Go until the end!"
Example 3: Casual Friends (Male)
A: おい、ちょっと待て
"Hey, wait a sec"
B: 何？
"What?"
A: これ見ろよ
"Look at this"
When NOT to Use Imperative
Avoid in:
- Normal conversation
- With strangers
- With superiors
- Formal situations
- Service situations
- First meetings
- Professional settings
Use instead:
- ～てください (polite)
- ～てくれる？ (casual request)
- ～なさい (softer command)
- ～て (casual between friends)
Special Expressions
頑張れ！
頑張れ！
"Do your best!" / "Go for it!" / "You can do it!"
(Most common imperative in daily life - encouraging)
止まれ (Traffic sign)
止まれ
"Stop"
(Standard on stop signs)
Imperative in Anime/Manga
Very common in fiction:
やめろ！
"Stop it!"
黙れ！
"Shut up!"
行け！
"Go!"
来い！
"Come here!"
Note: This is dramatic language, not everyday speech!
Combining with Particles
行けよ
"Go!" (encouraging)
食えって！
"Eat, I said!"
見ろよこれ
"Look at this"
待てって
"Wait!"
Practice Recognition
Can you identify these?
食べろ - Imperative "Eat!"
食べて - Te-form "Eat" (casual request)
食べなさい - Softer command "Eat"
食べてください - Polite "Please eat"
Key Takeaways
✓ Imperative = direct command (very strong)
✓ Godan: -u → -e
✓ Ichidan: -ru → -ro
✓ Very rough, rarely used politely
✓ Common in emergencies and sports
✓ Use ～てください instead normally
✓ More common in male speech
✓ OK for signs and written commands
✓ Never use with superiors
Learn imperative - but use it carefully!
Next: Negative Imperative
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