Commands in German

Being able to give commands in German is useful in various situations, like:

Let’s learn how to give commands in German.

One-Word Commands

One-word commands are pretty straight forward. When in need, just use the verb stem:

Easy, right? Let's move on to the next section.

When using the imperative in German, you'll usually have one of these personal pronouns in mind: du (informal, singular), ihr (informal, plural), or Sie (formal, singular or plural).

Let’s use the verb gehen (to go) as an example of how the verb stem changes based on which pronoun is used in the imperative:

Let's take a closer look at these rules, in the next sections.

For this lesson, imagine you’re visiting Berlin for the weekend. You’re meeting a friend at a restaurant in the city.

When you arrive, the waiter gives you some formal commands, using the pronoun Sie.

The 'Sie' Form

Let's practice turning these English verbs into formal German commands using the Sie form. Remember, for Sie commands, you use the full verb form followed by Sie.

Well Done! 🎉

Now let’s move on to informal commands.

Imagine your friend has arrived at the restaurant. You tell him you're planning to go out tonight to Berghain, the famous club. You need advice. What should you wear? Who should you bring? How do you get in?

Your friend, being a self-described party-monster, gives you some informal instructions (commands), to help you, using the du form of the imperative.

The 'du' Form

When using this form of the imperative, the du pronoun is dropped, as you can see in the commands above.

Additionally, regular verbs follow a simple formula for the du form: verb stem.

However, when using the du form of the imperative with irregular verbs, there are some special rules to keep in mind. For example:

1. verb stems ending in -t, -d, or -fn, often need to add -e to make the pronunciation easier.

2. many irregular verbs have a vowel change in the du form of the imperative.

Next, you tell your friend that you will bring your partner with you to Berghain. He has a few more helpful instructions (commands) for you both, using the ihr form of the imperative:

The 'ihr' Form

When using this form of the imperative, the ihr pronoun is also dropped.

Regular verbs follow the formula: verb stem + -t

However, irregular verbs that end with -e in the du form, follow the formula: verb stem + -et

Good job 🎉!

You now know how to give formal and informal commands and you are prepared for your night out!

Let's practice what we have learned.

In the exercise below, try turning each English verb into an informal German command in the du and ihr forms.

Well done! 🎉

You’ve learned how to give commands in German!

When you're ready, head over to the final lesson on Prepositions (of place)