What is the Imperative Form?
The imperative form is a direct, no-frills command. "Run!" "Stop!" "Eat!" It's blunt, forceful, and carries real weight. This is not the form you'd use to politely ask a coworker to pass the salt.
In everyday polite situations, Japanese speakers use て form + ください for requests. The imperative is reserved for situations where politeness takes a backseat -- emergencies, sports, strong emotions, or rough/casual speech among close male friends. You'll hear it constantly in anime and manga, which is partly why learners pick it up early, but knowing when to use it is just as important as knowing how. Our lesson on formal vs. casual speech covers these register differences in detail.
Conjugation Rules
U-verbs (Group I)
Change the final う-row sound to its え-row equivalent. That's it -- nothing added after:
| Dictionary | Imperative |
|---|---|
| 行く (iku) | 行け |
| 急ぐ (isogu) | 急げ |
| 買う (kau) | 買え |
| 勝つ (katsu) | 勝て |
| 歩く (aruku) | 歩け |
| 飲む (nomu) | 飲め |
You might notice this is the same え-row shift as the potential form, just without the る at the end. Handy if you already know potential.
Ru-verbs (Group II)
Drop る, add ろ:
| Dictionary | Imperative |
|---|---|
| 食べる (taberu) | 食べろ |
| 見る (miru) | 見ろ |
| 閉める (shimeru) | 閉めろ |
| 起きる (okiru) | 起きろ |
Irregular Verbs
| Dictionary | Imperative |
|---|---|
| する | しろ |
| 来る (kuru) | こい |
| くれる | くれ |
くれる → くれ is worth memorizing separately. You'll hear it in phrases like 黙ってくれ (shut up / be quiet).
When Do People Actually Use This?
The imperative form sounds aggressive in most contexts. Here's where you'll encounter it:
Emergencies and urgency:
- 逃げろ！ (Run away!)
- 止まれ！ (Stop!)
Sports and cheering:
- 走れ！ (Run!)
- 頑張れ！ (Hang in there! / Go for it!)
Signs and official instructions:
- 止まれ (stop -- on road signs)
Anime, manga, and fiction:
- Characters use imperative freely for dramatic effect
Between close friends (casual male speech):
- 早く食え！ (Hurry up and eat!)
Using imperative form with a stranger, a superior, or someone you don't know well would be considered very rude. For softer alternatives, there's なさい (firm but polite) or て + ください (standard polite request).
Imperative vs Negative Imperative
The imperative says "do it!" The negative imperative says "don't do it!" They're a natural pair, and both carry the same rough, direct tone.
Example Sentences
-
早く起きろ！ (hayaku okiro!)
Wake up already! -
黙れ！ (damare!)
Shut up! -
こっちに来い！ (kocchi ni koi!)
Come here! -
頑張れ！諦めるな！ (ganbare! akirameru na!)
Hang in there! Don't give up! -
もっとよく見ろ。 (motto yoku miro.)
Look more carefully. -
そこで待て。 (soko de mate.)
Wait there. -
何か言え！ (nanika ie!)
Say something! -
好きにしろ。 (suki ni shiro.)
Do whatever you want.