IMPERATIVE WITH PERSONAL PRONOUNS

Due to the difference between the "real" imperative inflections (2nd persons) and all the
others (subjunctive), when personal pronouns have to be used, they link
as suffixes to the 2nd persons of imperative, while they come before the verb in all other
persons of this tense.


Here are examples of pronouns used for reflexive forms:

1st conjugation - mangiarsi  (to eat, to eat up, to have food)

		singular			plural
1st person		che (io) mi mangi	may I eat		che (noi) ci mangiiamo	may we eat
2nd person		(tu) mangiati	eat! (singular)		(voi) mangiatevi	eat! (plural)
3rd person		che (egli / ella) si mangi	let (make) him/her eat		che (essi / esse) si mangino	let (make) them eat

2nd conjugation - prendersi  (to take, to choose, to haveas a choice)

		singular			plural
1st person		che (io) mi prenda	may I have		che (noi) ci prendiamo	may we have
2nd person		(tu) prenditi	have! (singular)		(voi) prendetevi	have! (plural)
3rd person		che (egli / ella) si prenda	let (make) him/her have		che (essi / esse) si prendano	let (make) them have

3rd conjugation - vestirsi  (to get dressed, to dress upas a choice)

		singular			plural
1st person		che (io) mi vesta	may I dress up		che (noi) ci vestiamo	may we dress up
2nd person		(tu) vestiti	dress up! (singular)		(voi) vestitevi	dress up! (plural)
3rd person		che (egli / ella) si vesta	let  (make)  him/her dress up		che (essi / esse) si vestano	let (make) them dress up

Take care in pronouncing the 2nd singular persons with the accent (or stress) on the first syllable,
as explained above: màngiati, vèstiti, etc.

In fact, changing the position of the stress gives different words: mangiàti
means eaten (past participle of verb mangiare, in plural form), while

vestìti means either dressed (again, past participle of vestire, plural
form), or clothes.

In written language, imperative inflections such as these ones are sometimes spelled with an
accented vowel, not to be mistaken.





This other example, instead, shows personal pronouns used as an object of the verb:

2nd conjugation - prendermi  (to catch me, or to take for me, to fetch me)

		singular			plural
1st person		che (io) mi prenda	may I catch myself[1]		---	---
2nd person		(tu) prendimi	catch me! (singular)		(voi) prendetemi	catch me! (plural)
3rd person		che (egli / ella) mi prenda	let him/her catch me ...		che (essi / esse) mi prendano	let them catch me ...

[1] only theorical; this inflection matches the "colloquial reflexive" form

of the verb, may I catch (myself), described in paragraph 8.3


Obviously, when a pronoun is used as an object, as in the example above, it does not change
according to the person (1st, 2nd, 3rd), as it does, instead, for reflexive forms.

In other words, if a pronoun is used as an object, the action of the verb is always
received by the same object, i.e. the pronoun, in this case mi (you catch me,
he catches me, etc.).


Instead, in reflexive forms, the action expressed by the verb is received by the
same subject who does it: for each
person a different pronoun is required (i.e. I help myself;
you help yourself; he helps himself;
etc.).

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NEGATIVE IMPERATIVE


It is formed by adding non (not) in front of the verb, as usual.

Only for the 2nd singular person a change occurs: imperative is replaced
by infinitive.

mangiare = to eat

(tu) mangia! = eat!
(tu) non mangiare! = don't eat!    (non mangia! means he/she does not eat!)

prendere = to take

(tu) prendi! = take!
(tu) non prendere! = don't eat!

pensare = to think

(tu) pensa! = think!
(tu) non pensare! = don't think!

All other persons form the negative imperative in the same way other tenses do, i.e. by simply adding
non:

che (egli / ella) mangi! = let (make) him / her eat!
che (egli / ella) non mangi! = let (make) him / her not eat!

(voi) prendete! = take!(plural)
(voi) non prendete! = don't take!(plural)

che (essi / esse) dormano! = let (make) them sleep!(plural)
che (essi / esse) non dormano! = let (make) them not sleep!(plural)

When a personal pronoun is attached to the verb, non always comes before the pronoun:

(tu) non vestirti! = don't dress yourself up!  (vestirti = vestire + -ti)
(tu) non ti vestire! (other form)

che (essi / esse) non si liberino! = let (make) them not free themselves!

(voi) non mangiatelo! = don't eat it!  (mangiatelo = mangiate + -lo)
(voi) non lo mangiate! (other form)

As shown above, the 2nd singular and plural persons, "real" imperative inflections, allow a
double form when used with pronouns:

• one with the pronoun added as a suffix to the verb (infinitive for the singular
  person, indicative for the plural person);
  
• one in which the pronoun is used before the verb (same tenses).
  

Note how in these cases it is useless to repeat the personal pronoun, placed in brackets in the
previous forms, because it would be redundant.

non perderti! = don't lose yourself!  (perderti = perdere + -ti)
non ti perdere! (other form)

non perdetelo = don't lose it!  (perderlo = perdere + -lo)
non lo perdete!

non muoverti! = don't move yourself!  (muoverti = muovere + -ti)
non ti muovere!

non muovetevi = don't move yourselves!
non vi muovete!

non sporcarmi! = don't make me dirty!  (sporcarmi = sporcare + -mi)
non mi sporcare!

non sporcatemi = don't make me dirty!
non mi sporcate!

Any of the two may be freely chosen, in spoken language as well as in written language:
they are equivalent.

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THE USE OF IMPERATIVE

Besides having the meaning of a command, also in Italian imperative may be used
for inviting somebody to do something. In the latter case, English often softens
the invitation with please. Although prego (please) can be used in
Italian, as well, it is often omitted: what makes the expression sound as an offer, a more
"pushy" request, or a command, is especially the voice's pitch and intonation.

Sometimes the same verb leaves no doubt about the imperative's meaning:

mettiti comodo! = put yourself at ease!(mettere = to put)
prenditi un'altra tazza di caffè! = have another cup of coffee!
assaggia questo vino! = (have a) taste (of) this wine!
rilassati! = relax! (literally: relax yourself)

Quite obviously, all the expressions above would never sound as an order or a command.


Other verbs, instead, allow a wider range of meanings: for example, let's consider the
verb entrare = to enter, go in(to), come in(to).

Saying entra! to somebody knocking at the door may have the meaning of come in!,
but in a rather informal way: it would be used with a relative, or a friend, or a child.
A more polite invitation to come in would be avanti!, literally: (come) forward!.


In fact, entra! might even be translated as go inside!, i.e. said by a teacher to a
rascal pupil caught sneaking out of the classroom, or by a guard to a runaway convict in
pushing him back again into his cell.

Therefore, according to a specific context, imperative may have different meanings.


In case an imperative might sound too harsh, prego, per favore, or per piacere (all mean

please) can be used, more or less as in English:

prego, giratevi = please, turn yourselves round (girare = to turn; girarsi = to turn oneself round)
prendete altro vino, prego = please, have some more wine
scendete giù, per favore = come down, please

All of them can stand before or after the imperative, usually separated by a comma.


Another way of softening an invitation is to use pure.
Pure means also, even, but when
it follows an imperative it gives it a meaning of feel free of ...ing:

mangiatelo pure = feel free of eating it
lasciate pure la valigia in camera = feel free of leaving the suitcase in (your) room
fate pure con comodo, c'è ancora tempo = feel free of taking it easy, there is still time
(fare con comodo, literally to do with ease, means to take it easy, to take one's time in doing something)

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IMPERSONAL IMPERATIVE

When a command is given as a general condition (i.e. not addressing a given person
but simply stating a rule, such as in public notices, or in a warning, etc.),
two forms may occur: one using the present subjunctive tense, and one using the infinitive
tense.


In the case the command is positive (not negative), both of them may be adopted, although
the infinitive one is surely more common.

It is obtained by simply using this tense with a general meaning:

camminare a destra = walk on the right (also meaning to walk on the right)
spegnere il motore = switch off the engine (also meaning to switch off the engine)
rallentare = slow down (also meaning to slow down)

This is the form most commonly used in traffic signs, or more generally, in notices and
warnings for the public.

Sometimes it is used with reflexive verbs, which need a pronoun:

reggersi al mancorrente = hold yourself / yourselves to the handrail (also meaning to hold oneself to the handrail)
muoversi! = move (yourself / yourselves)! (also meaning to move oneself)
tenersi dietro la riga gialla = keep yourself / yourselves behind the yellow line (also meaning to keep oneself...)

Notice how in this case the reflexive pronoun -si (oneself) is used to address
a command to everybody, i.e. it makes it "impersonal". See also paragraph 8.3 for personal reflexive
pronouns.


The other impersonal imperative form is a bit more complicated, but less used than the previous
one, because it sounds rather formal (i.e. used in written documents, in vows, in official
statements, etc.).

It requires either one or two pronouns.


Pronoun si (same as above) is always required, followed by present subjunctive, 3rd singular person.
The same expressions shown above in this form would be:

si cammini a destra = (let everybody) walk on the right
si spenga il motore = (let) the engine be switched off
si rallenti = (let everybody) slow down

Although subjunctive is also used for 3rd person imperative (as shown in
the previous paragraph), here the use of si makes once again
the inflection sound "impersonal", i.e. referred to everybody.


In the case of a reflexive verb, a further pronoun is required before si:
pronoun ci, usually meaning us (as an object), to us, for us, or, in
non-imperative reflexive forms, meaning ourselves (as an object), to ourselves, for ourselves,

etc. (see paragraphs 8.1 through 8.3).

Compare these expressions with the ones previously shown:

ci si regga al mancorrente = (let everybody) hold (himself) to the handrail
ci si muova! = (let everybody) move (himself)!
ci si tenga dietro la riga gialla = (let everybody) keep (himself) behind the yellow line

In this form, ci acts as the real reflexive pronoun, not si (in other words, we could say that

ci has to be used in place of si, because the latter is already required for making the verb's
inflection impersonal).


synopsis table for impersonal imperative

	with ordinary verbs	with reflexive verbs
infinitive form (more common)  Â®	infinitive	infinitive + -si
subjunctive form (less common) ®	si + present subjunctive (3rd sing.)	ci si + present subjunctive (3rd sing.)

The negative of all the forms shown above (negative impersonal imperative), is simply obtained by
using non (not) in front of the verb:

camminare a destra = walk on the right
non camminare a destra = don't walk on the right

reggersi al mancorrente = hold yourself / yourselves to the handrail
non reggersi al mancorrente = don't hold yourself/yourselves to the handrail

si cammini a destra = (let everybody) walk on the right
non si cammini a destra = (let everybody) not walk on the right

ci si regga al mancorrente = (let everybody) hold (himself) to the handrail
non ci si regga al mancorrente = (let everybody) not hold (himself) to the handrail

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This article was used with permission from:
Teach Yourself Italian