Imperative & Prohibitive命令形・禁止形
The imperative form (命令形) gives direct orders: "Do it!" The prohibitive form adds な to the dictionary form: "Don’t do it!" Both are very blunt and can sound rude in most everyday situations. You’ll encounter them constantly in manga, anime, sports, emergency instructions, and set expressions. Understanding them is essential even if you rarely use them yourself.
The imperative form (命令形) gives direct orders: "Do it!" The prohibitive form adds な to the dictionary form: "Don’t do it!" Both are very blunt and can sound rude in most everyday situations. You’ll encounter them constantly in manga, anime, sports, emergency instructions, and set expressions. Understanding them is essential even if you rarely use them yourself.
How to form the imperative
Each verb group has its own imperative ending.
Godan: え-row
Change the final kana to its え-row equivalent: 行く→行け (ike), 話す→話せ (hanase), 読む→読め (yome), 買う→買え (kae), 泳ぐ→泳げ (oyoge), 待つ→待て (mate), 死ぬ→死ね (shine), 飛ぶ→飛べ (tobe). No additional suffix needed — just the え-row kana alone.
Ichidan: stem + ろ (or よ)
Drop -ru and add -ろ: 食べる→食べろ (tabero), 見る→見ろ (miro), 起きる→起きろ (okiro). The alternative ending -よ (食べよ, 見よ) exists in literary/archaic Japanese and some written contexts, but -ろ is the standard modern form.
Irregular
する→しろ (shiro) or せよ (seyo — literary). 来る→来い (koi). Note that 来い has its own unique form that doesn’t follow either -ろ or -え patterns.
Prohibitive: dictionary form + な
To say "don’t do X," attach な directly to the dictionary form: 行くな (iku na — don’t go), 食べるな (taberu na — don’t eat), するな (suru na — don’t do it), 来るな (kuru na — don’t come). This is just as blunt and rough as the imperative. Do not confuse this prohibitive な with the sentence-ending particle な that expresses emotion or soft agreement.
When you actually hear the imperative
Despite its "rude" reputation, the imperative is everywhere in specific contexts.
Sports and cheering
行け！(Go!), 走れ！(Run!), 投げろ！(Throw it!), 頑張れ！(Do your best!). At stadiums and during competitions, the imperative is standard and not rude at all — it’s energetic encouragement.
Emergencies and urgent situations
逃げろ！(Run away!), 止まれ！(Stop!), 動くな！(Don’t move!). When there’s no time for politeness, the imperative is the natural choice.
Manga, anime, and fiction
Characters use the imperative constantly to convey strength, anger, or authority: 黙れ！(Shut up!), 待て！(Wait!), 死ね！(Die!). Understanding these forms is essential for consuming Japanese media.
Signs and written instructions
止まれ (Stop) on road signs, 触るな (Don’t touch) on museum signs. Written imperatives are formal instructions, not personal rudeness.
Softer alternatives for daily use
In everyday conversation, Japanese speakers almost never use the bare imperative. Instead, they use: ～てください (polite request), ～て (casual request), ～なさい (parental/teacher authority), ～な (with nasai dropped) (very casual command, parent to child). 食べろ is a barked order; 食べて is a friendly "eat up"; 食べてください is a polite request; 食べなさい is what your mom says.
Imperative and prohibitive forms
| Verb | Group | Imperative | Prohibitive | Polite request |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 行く | Godan | 行け | 行くな | 行ってください |
| 書く | Godan | 書け | 書くな | 書いてください |
| 話す | Godan | 話せ | 話すな | 話してください |
| 読む | Godan | 読め | 読むな | 読んでください |
| 待つ | Godan | 待て | 待つな | 待ってください |
| 食べる | Ichidan | 食べろ | 食べるな | 食べてください |
| 見る | Ichidan | 見ろ | 見るな | 見てください |
| 起きる | Ichidan | 起きろ | 起きるな | 起きてください |
| する | Irreg. | しろ / せよ | するな | してください |
| 来る | Irreg. | 来い (koi) | 来るな | 来てください |
Example sentences
早く起きろ！遅刻するぞ！
Hayaku okiro! Chikoku suru zo!
Get up already! You’ll be late!
Ichidan imperative — urgent wake-up
頑張れ！あと少しだ！
Ganbare! Ato sukoshi da!
Hang in there! Just a little more!
Godan imperative — encouragement (sports)
ここに触るな。
Koko ni sawaru na.
Don’t touch this.
Prohibitive — dictionary form + な
黙れ！今は話すな！
Damare! Ima wa hanasu na!
Shut up! Don’t talk right now!
Imperative + prohibitive combo (manga-style)
止まれ。
Tomare.
Stop.
Road sign — standard written imperative
こっちに来い。
Kocchi ni koi.
Come here.
来る irregular imperative
Common mistakes
食べるな (thinking it means "let’s eat")
食べるな means "don’t eat"
The prohibitive な (attached to dictionary form) means "don’t." Don’t confuse it with the volitional form (食べよう = let’s eat) or the sentence-ending な particle (食べるな〜 with elongation = "I do eat, huh").
Using imperative form with strangers or superiors
Use ～てください or ～ていただけますか
The bare imperative is extremely direct. Using it with a boss, teacher, or stranger would be shockingly rude. Reserve it for emergencies, sports, close male friends being rough, or manga comprehension.
来ろ (kuro) for imperative of 来る
来い (koi)
来る is irregular. Its imperative is 来い, not 来ろ. This is a unique form that must be memorized.
Frequently asked questions
Is the imperative form always rude?
No. Context matters more than form. 頑張れ (do your best) is encouraging, not rude. 止まれ on a road sign is a neutral instruction. Between close male friends, casual imperatives are normal banter. It’s rude when directed at someone you don’t have that relationship with, or when the tone conveys anger.
What’s the difference between ～なさい and the bare imperative?
～なさい is a firm but not aggressive command, typically from a parent, teacher, or someone with clear authority: 食べなさい (eat your food), 静かにしなさい (be quiet). The bare imperative (食べろ, 静かにしろ) is harsher and carries more emotional force — anger, urgency, or intimidation.
Do women use the imperative form?
Rarely in direct speech. Women tend to use ～て, ～てよ, ～なさい, or ～てください instead. However, women absolutely use it for encouragement (頑張れ！) and in written/fictional contexts. The gendered difference is softening over time, especially among younger speakers.
What group does 走る belong to?