Imperative Review & Softening Requests
Giving directions, making requests, and telling people what to do is a core part of everyday communication. German has three distinct imperative forms — one for close friends, one for groups, and one for formal situations — and knowing which to use makes a big difference in how natural you sound.
Beyond plain commands, German speakers almost always soften requests with bitte or polite question forms. This lesson reviews all three imperative forms and shows you the most useful ways to sound polite rather than demanding.
The Three Imperative Forms
Choose the imperative form based on your relationship with the listener(s).
| Pronoun | Who | Formation rule | Example: kommen |
|---|---|---|---|
| du | one person, informal | verb stem (drop -en) | Komm! |
| ihr | group, informal | same as present ihr-form | Kommt! |
| Sie | formal (any number) | infinitive + Sie (inverted) | Kommen Sie! |
Special du-rules:
- Stem changes e → i / ie are kept in the imperative: sprechen (du sprichst) → Sprich!; lesen → Lies!
- Umlaut changes (ä, ö, ü) in the du-present are dropped: fahren (du fährst) → Fahr! (not Fähr!)
- Stems ending in -t, -d, or a hard consonant cluster usually add -e: warten → Warte!; öffnen → Öffne!
Separable Verbs in the Imperative
With separable verbs, the prefix always moves to the end of the sentence.
| Infinitive | du | ihr | Sie |
|---|---|---|---|
| anrufen | Ruf … an! | Ruft … an! | Rufen Sie … an! |
| aufmachen | Mach … auf! | Macht … auf! | Machen Sie … auf! |
| zuhören | Hör … zu! | Hört … zu! | Hören Sie … zu! |
Example: Ruf mich bitte morgen an! — Call me tomorrow, please!
Softening Requests: bitte and Konjunktiv II
Strategy 1 — Add bitte (the simplest softener). It can appear at the start, after the verb, or at the end:
- Bitte komm her! / Komm bitte her! / Komm her, bitte!
Strategy 2 — Use a Konjunktiv II question (more polite, especially in formal situations):
| Form | German | English |
|---|---|---|
| formal | Könnten Sie …? | Could you …? |
| informal | Könntest du …? | Could you …? |
| formal | Würden Sie …? | Would you …? |
| informal | Würdest du …? | Would you …? |
Rule of thumb: Use the plain imperative with friends and family. Use könnten/würden + Sie with strangers, teachers, colleagues, and anyone you address formally.
📖 Examples
Komm bitte her!
Come here, please! (to one friend)
Geht nach Hause!
Go home! (to a group)
Kommen Sie bitte herein!
Please come in! (formal)
Sprich bitte langsamer!
Please speak more slowly! (to a friend)
Könnten Sie mir helfen?
Could you help me? (polite, formal)
Würdest du das bitte wiederholen?
Would you please repeat that? (polite, informal)
Macht die Tür zu!
Close the door! (to a group)
Ruf mich heute Abend an!
Call me this evening! (to a friend)
⚠️ Common Mistakes
Fähr schneller!Fahr schneller!
The du-imperative of 'fahren' drops the umlaut even though the du-present has one (du fährst → Fahr!). English speakers often copy the ä from the present tense by mistake.
Sprechen bitte!Sprich bitte! / Sprecht bitte! / Sprechen Sie bitte!
The bare infinitive is not used as a direct imperative when addressing a person. Always use the correct du-, ihr-, or Sie-form. Infinitive imperatives appear only in written instructions like recipes or signs.
Könnst du mir helfen?Könntest du mir helfen?
'Könnst' does not exist in German. The Konjunktiv II of 'können' for 'du' is 'könntest'. Don't confuse it with the present tense indicative 'kannst'.
Komm Sie bitte!Kommen Sie bitte!
The Sie-imperative always uses the full infinitive form followed by Sie. 'Komm' is only the du-imperative stem and cannot be combined with Sie.
✏️ Exercises
Test your understanding. Click an option or type your answer, then check.
Which is the correct du-imperative of 'sprechen'?
You are in a shop and want to ask the sales assistant politely: 'Could you help me?' Which phrase is most appropriate?
What is the ihr-imperative of 'aufmachen' (to open)?
Which is the correct du-imperative of 'lesen'?
Which sentence correctly makes a polite formal request meaning 'Would you please write your name?'
A teacher addresses the whole class: 'Open your books!' Which imperative is correct?
___ (kommen, Sie-imperative) bitte um 9 Uhr!
___ (fahren, du-imperative) bitte langsamer!
___ (können, Konjunktiv II, Sie-form) Sie mir bitte die Speisekarte geben?
___ (zuhören, ihr-imperative) bitte!