imperatiefsvorm

Imperatiefsvorm, or the imperative mood, is the grammatical form used to give commands, requests, instructions, or invitations in Dutch. It is primarily directed at the second person and is typically used without an explicitly stated subject.

Forms and usage

- Informal singular (jij/je): most verbs form the imperative from the present stem and omit the subject. Common examples are Kom! (come), Ga! (go), Loop! (walk), Zeg! (say), Doe! (do), Lees! (read), Wacht! (wait). This form is direct and concise, often used in spoken language or signs.

- Formal address (u): the polite imperative uses the present tense third-person singular form with the pronoun u, as in Gaat u zitten. It can also appear as Komt u binnen. It is used to show respect or to give directions in formal contexts.

- Inclusive suggestion (laten we): for including the speaker in the command or suggestion, Dutch uses laten we + verb: Laten we vertrekken. This expresses “let’s …” and invites joint action.

- Negative imperatives: negation is added with niet after the verb: Stop niet! or Wees niet bang. Some verbs require additional wording for softened requests, such as alstublieft/alsjeblieft.

- Irregular forms: several verbs have irregular imperative forms. For example, wees (from zijn) is the singular informal imperative; heb (from hebben) is another common irregular form. These must be learned as fixed forms.

Remarks

The imperative typically does not include a subject pronoun, except when emphasis or politeness is intended. It coexists with other moods and constructions (such as polite requests with alstublieft) to adjust tone from direct commands to more courteous forms.