The basics
In this article you will learn about what the imperative is used for, how to construct the negative form, how to use irregular verbs (because there are always slight complications) and how to make all of the forms of imperative sound more pleasant.
- Ne slušaj glasnu glazbu → Don’t listen to loud music! (suggestion mostly)
- Dodaj mi salatu → Pass me the salad! (command)
- Očistite povrće i začinite ga po želji → Clean the vegetables and season them to taste. (instruction)
Probably the best examples of imperative sentences are the ones a parent uses when “talking to” their kids:
- Pokupi igračke → Pick up the toys!
- Počisti sobu → Clean up your room!
- Jedi mahune → Eat the green beans!
- Ne trči → Don’t run!
How is the imperative formed?
To form the imperative, you need to know the third person plural of the present tense of a verb and then build from there by adding various endings.
This is the imperative formed with the most frequent types of verbs:
| category | infinitive | present (3rd pl.) | imperative (2nd sing.) | imperative (1st pl.) | imperative (2nd pl.) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| -ati |
pjevati (to sing) | -aju pjevaju | Pjevaj! | Pjevajmo! | Pjevajte! |
| -ivati |
istraživati (to explore) | -uju istražuju | Istražuj! | Istražujmo! | Istražujte! |
| -ovati |
putovati (to travel) | -uju putuju | Putuj! | Putujmo! | Putujte! |
| -iti |
raditi (to work) | -e rade | Radi! | Radimo! | Radite! |
| -jeti |
voljeti (to love) | -e vole | Voli! | Volimo! | Volite! |
There’s no imperative form for first person singular, because we don’t usually give instructions to ourselves. And when we do, we talk to ourselves in the 2nd person singular.
Irregular verbs and the imperative form
Of course, like in every language, irregular verbs are, well, irregular! Here are a couple of examples of common irregular verbs:
| infinitive | present (3rd pl.) | imperative (2nd sing.) | imperative (1st pl.) | imperative (2nd pl.) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
|
biti (to be) | budu | Budi! | Budimo! | Budite! |
|
ići (to go) | idu | Idi! | Idimo! | Idite! |
|
jesti (to eat) | jedu | Jedi! | Jedimo! | Jedite! |
|
piti (to drink) | piju | Pij! | Pijmo! | Pijte! |
Imperative of the third person singular and plural
There’s no special form of imperative for the third person singular or plural (you or you all). Instead, the word neka (→ let) is used together with the present tense form of a verb.
| infinitive | present (3rd sing.) | imperative (3rd sing.) | present (3rd pl.) | imperative (3rd pl.) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
|
pjevati (to sing) | pjeva |
Neka pjeva! (Let him / her sing!) | pjevaju | Neka pjevaju! (Let them sing!) |
|
istraživati (to explore) | istražuje | Neka istražuje! | istražuju | Neka istražuju! |
|
putovati (to travel) | putuje | Neka putuje! | putuju | Neka putuju! |
|
raditi (to work) | radi | Neka radi! | rade | Neka rade! |
|
voljeti (to love) | voli | Neka voli! | vole | Neka vole! |
Making negative imperative statements
The negative form of the imperative is formed by putting ne (→ no) in front of the imperative form or in front of the present form:
| infinitive | present (3rd pl.) | imperative (2nd sing.) | imperative (1st pl.) | imperative (2nd pl.) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
|
pjevati (to sing) | -aju pjevaju |
Ne pjevaj! (Don’t sing!) | Ne pjevajmo! | Ne pjevajte! |
|
istraživati (to explore) | -uju istražuju | Ne istražuj! | Ne istražujmo! | Ne istražujte! |
|
putovati (to travel) | -uju putuju | Ne putuj! | Ne putujmo! | Ne putujte! |
|
raditi (to work) | -e rade | Ne radi! | Ne radimo! | Ne radite! |
|
voljeti (to love) | -e vole | Ne voli! | Ne volimo! | Ne volite! |
Another way to make a negative imperative is by using the words nemoj (→ don’t, second person singular), nemojmo (→ first person plural), nemojte (→ second person plural) with the infinitive of a verb. This is an easier way to use the negative imperative, as you don’t have to think about changing verb endings.
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| infinitive | imperative (2nd sing.) | imperative (1st pl.) | imperative (2nd pl.) |
|---|---|---|---|
|
pjevati (to sing) |
Nemoj pjevati! (Don’t sing!) | Nemojmo pjevati! | Nemojte pjevati! |
|
istraživati (to explore) | Nemoj istraživati! | Nemojmo istraživati! | Nemojte istraživati! |
|
putovati (to travel) | Nemoj putovati! | Nemojmo! | Nemojte putovati! |
|
raditi (to work) | Nemoj raditi! | Nemojmo raditi! | Nemojte raditi! |
|
voljeti (to love) | Nemoj voljeti! | Nemojmo voljeti! | Nemojte voljeti! |
Third person singular and third person plural forms still use neka.
pjevati → Neka ne pjeva! / Neka ne pjevaju! → Don’t let him (her) sing! / Don’t let them sing!
raditi → Neka ne radi! / Neka ne rade! → Don’t let him (her) work! / Don’t let them work!
How to make the imperative sound more polite?
The imperative can sometimes be seen as overly direct, rude or impolite – maybe even offensive. In such cases, we can add molim (→ please) to soften the command.
For example: Kupi mi čokoladu, molim te. (Buy me a chocolate, please).
We can also use conditionals to make it less direct: Bi li mi kupio čokoladu? (→ Would you buy me a chocolate?). Or use the question form instead: Možeš li mi kupiti čokoladu (→ Can you buy me a chocolate?)
Exercise: What do these phrases mean?
-
Nemoj me zezati! →
Don’t make fun of me! -
Nemoj praviti budalu od sebe! →
Don't make a fool of yourself. -
Ispeci pa reci! →
Think it through before you say it.
Exercise: How would you say the following in Croatian?
- Bring me a beer. →
Donesi mi pivo! - Close the window. →
Zatvori prozor! - Finish your lunch. →
Pojedi ručak do kraja! - Let us sing until dawn. →
Pjevajmo do zore! - Buy me a watermelon. →
Kupi mi lubenicu! - Let her wash the dishes. →
Neka ona opere posuđe!
Exercise: See how much of this beautiful song by Natali Dizdar you understand!
Language guide
Explore grammar and learning tips in our Croatian language guide.
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Love & Relationships
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Grammar Essentials
Every noun in Croatian has a gender – learn to recognize masculine, feminine, and neuter forms with helpful patterns.
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Grammar Essentials
The future tense in Croatian is clear and easy to form – learn how to express future plans and ask questions naturally.
