käskivvorme

Käskivorm, also known as imperatiiv, is the Estonian verb mood used to issue commands, requests and direct instructions. It is primarily associated with second person forms, referring to the person or people being addressed, and appears in both singular and plural numbers. The imperative is common in everyday speech, signs, directions and instructional text.

Formation and typical forms. In Estonian, the 2nd person singular and the 2nd person plural imperatives are formed from the verb stem, with distinct endings that vary by verb class. Common, well-known pairs include Tule! (come, singular) and Tulge! (come, plural/polite); Tee! (do) and Tehke! (do); Ole! (be) and Olge! (be); Anna! (give) and Andke! (give); Mine! (go) and Minge! (go). These examples illustrate the general pattern: the singular form is often shorter and the plural form ends with -ge, -ke or -ke-like endings, depending on the verb.

Negative imperative. Negative commands are formed with the particle ära (singular) or with Ärge (plural). Examples: Ära tule! (Don’t come!), Ära tee seda! (Don’t do that!), Ärge mine! or Ärge minge! (Don’t go!). The subject pronoun is usually omitted in imperative clauses.

Politeness and tone. The imperative can express directness or urgency, but politeness can be achieved by using the plural form or by adding the word palun: Palun tulge. In many everyday contexts, the imperative is simply the most efficient way to convey instructions, warnings, or requests.

In summary, käskivorme covers the Estonian imperative forms used to tell someone what to do, with singular and plural variants, common irregulars, and a flexible toolkit for polite or forceful discourse.