The Imperative of Verbs

Повелительное наклонение глагола

 

Like in English the  imperative in Russian conveys a request, command or strong injunction.

The imperative has only the 2nd person singular and plural.

 

Infinitive

Singular

Formation of the Imperative

Endings

The imperative of verbs whose stem ends in a vowel is formed with the help of the ending -й :
читать

я чита-ю (I read)

чита + й читай ! (read!)

-й

The imperative of verbs whose stem ends in a consonant is formed with the help of the ending -и, if the stress in the 1st person singular falls on the ending:
говорить

я говор-ю (I speak)

говор + и говори ! (speak!)

-и

The imperative of verbs whose stem ends in a consonant is formed with the help of the ending -ь, if the stress in the 1st person singular falls on the stem:
резать

я реж-у (I cut)

реж + ь режь ! (cut!)

-ь

 

In the plural the ending -те is added to the singular form: читайте! говорите! режьте!

Verbs with the particle -ся (учиться - to study) invariably take this particle at the end of all their forms:

-ся after a consonant - занимайся!

-сь after a vowel учись! учитесь! занимайтесь!

 

REMEMBER: if a verb has an alternation only in the 1st person singular (готовить - я готовлю)

 the imperative is formed from the 2nd person (ты готов-ишь - готовь! готовьте!)

 

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