Imperative of irregular verbs
A2 · Elementary · Cases & Verbs
The rule
sein → sei!; nehmen → nimm!; geben → gib!
How it works
Irregular verbs that change their stem vowel in the du form also change it in the imperative, and often drop the -e: sprechen → sprich!, geben → gib!, nehmen → nimm!, fahren → fahr! The verb sein has a special form: sei! The ihr and Sie forms follow the regular pattern.
When to use it
Give commands with irregular verbs, which often have a special du form.
Use cases
- Giving a command to a friend: Gib mir das Buch!
- Telling someone to slow down: Sprich langsamer!
- Giving a polite instruction in a formal setting: Nehmen Sie bitte Platz
Examples
- Sei ruhig! – Be quiet!
- Sei nicht so ungeduldig! – Do not be so impatient!
- Nimm den Bus um acht! – Take the bus at eight!
- Lies das Kapitel bis morgen! – Read the chapter by tomorrow!
Common mistake
Using the regular du form: "Sei!" (be!) not "Seie!", "Nimm!" (take!) not "Nehme!".
Memory tip
sein → sei!; geben → gib!; nehmen → nimm!; fahren → fahr!
Read the wider picture in our guide: German Verbs and Word Order: Tenses, Modals and Sentence Structure.