impératives

Imperatives, or the imperative mood, are verb forms used to issue commands, give orders, request actions, or express prohibitions. They are typically directed at a second-person addressee, but can address a group or function in hortative constructions that include the speaker. In many languages the subject is omitted, yielding concise clauses such as “Close the door.”

Form and function vary by language. In English, the imperative is usually the base form of the verb without an explicit subject, as in “Close the door.” Negative imperatives are formed with not or with a separate negative construction, such as “Don’t touch that.” Politeness and indirectness are often achieved with devices like please, modal verbs, or alternative phrasing.

Cross-linguistic variation is common. Some languages have dedicated imperative endings or distinct forms for informal and formal address, or for inclusive versus exclusive groups. Others use the same verb form but rely on particles, intonation, or context to signal mood. Many languages also distinguish affirmative imperatives from negative ones, and some employ special “let us” or hortative forms to invite collective action, such as “Let us go.”

Usage and scope extend beyond everyday speech. Imperatives appear in instructional texts, signage, and commands in technology and programming, where a sequence of instructions is expressed as imperative statements. In linguistics, the imperative is analyzed in relation to other moods, such as the indicative and subjunctive, to describe how languages encode commands, requests, and prohibitions across diverse grammatical systems.