Formal Commands(命令形）

Formal Commands

Need to tell your teacher, supervisor, or the Italian prime minister to do something? Use the subjunctive form of the verb to form the formal commands. The table below contains some examples of formal commands.

FORMAL COMMANDS

INFINITIVE	LEI	LORO
cantare	Canti!	Cantino!
dormire	Dorma!	Dormano!
finire	Finisca!	Finiscano!
parlare	Parli!	Parlino!
partire	Parta!	Partano!
pulire	Pulisca!	Puliscano!
scrivere	Scriva!	Scrivano!
vendere	Venda!	Vendano!

Some of the verbs have irregular stem changes in the io form. Sometimes, this form is used to construct the imperatives of Lei and Loro.

FORMAL COMMANDS: VERBS WITH STEM CHANGES

INFINITIVE	PRESENT- INDICATIVE FORM OF IO	IMPERATIVE FORM OF LEI	IMPERATIVE FORM OF LORO
andare (to walk)	vado	Vada!	Vadano!
apparire (to appear)	appaio	Appaia!	Appaiano!
bere (to drink)	bevo	Beva!	Bevano!
cogliere (to pick, to pluck)	colgo	Colga!	Colgano!
dire (to say, to tell)	dico	Dica!	Dicano!
fare (to make)	faccio	Faccia!	Facciano!
porre (to place, to put down)	pongo	Ponga!	Pongano!
rimanere (to stay, to remain)	rimango	Rimanga!	Rimangano!
salire (to climb)	salgo	Salga!	Salgano!
scegliere (to choose, to pick)	scelgo	Scelga!	Scelgano!
sedere (to sit down)	siedo	Sieda!	Siedano!
suonare (to play a musical instrument)	suono	Suoni!	Suonino!
tradurre (to translate)	traduco	Traduca!	Traducano!
trarre (to draw, to pull)	traggo	Tragga!	Traggano!
udire (to listen)	odo	Oda!	Odano!
uscire (to exit)	esco	Esca!	Escano!
venire (to come)	vengo	Venga!	Vengano!

Finally, some verbs have irregular formal command forms that are not based on any present-indicative forms, and which you will have to memorize. These verbs are listed below.

FORMAL COMMANDS: IRREGULAR VERBS

INFINITIVE	LEI	LORO
avere	Abbia!	Abbiano!
dare	Dia!	Diano!
essere	Sia!	Siano!
sapere	Sappia!	Sappiano!
stare	Stia!	Stiano!

Note that the same form of the verb is used for the negative formal commands.

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