mettete

Mettete is the second-person plural imperative form of the Italian verb mettere, meaning “you all put” or “you all place.” It is used to give direct commands or instructions to a group. In everyday language, it appears in contexts such as cooking, organizing, or directing a group to perform actions, for example: “Mettete i libri sul tavolo” (Put the books on the table) or “Mettetevi comodi” (Make yourselves comfortable).

In Italian, the imperative form for voi (you all) is often identical in spelling to the present indicative for voi. Therefore mettete serves as both the indicative present tense and the imperative in written and spoken language; the intended meaning is determined by the sentence’s context and intonation. Attachments with pronouns follow the verb, as in “Mettetelo lì” (Put it there) or the reflexive form “Mettetevi comodi” (Make yourselves comfortable). The verb can take various particle combinations to fit different nuances or formalities.

Mettete derives from the Latin verb mittere, the ancestor of mettere, which conveyed the notion of placing, putting, or setting. Over time, Italian developed its present-tense and imperative forms, with mettere retaining the regular -ete ending in the voi form for the imperative.

The word is common across registers, from instructional manuals and recipes to everyday dialogue and signage. Its straightforward meaning and versatile imperative form make mettete a frequent verb in Italian instructions and collaborative contexts.