N3 · Verbs
Commands and prohibitions
the imperative, な and なさい
The blunt command, the dictionary form plus な for "don't", and the firmer but gentler なさい of parents and teachers.
Japanese has an imperative, and most learners should say it very little. 行け "go!", 食べろ "eat!", しろ "do it!" and 来い "come here!" are blunt to the point of rudeness when aimed at a person. You will hear them far more often than you should use them: in sport (走れ！), in emergencies (逃げろ！), on road signs (止まれ), in films and manga, and inside reported speech.
A う-verb moves its last kana to the e row: 行く → 行け, 待つ → 待て, 帰る → 帰れ. A る-verb replaces る with ろ: 見ろ, 寝ろ. する becomes しろ (in written instructions せよ), and 来る becomes 来い.
The prohibitive is simpler and just as strong: the dictionary form plus な. 行くな "don't go", 食べるな "don't eat it", 触るな "don't touch". It is the shape of many warning signs. Careful: な after the ます-stem is something else — 食べな is a casual, almost friendly "go on, eat", short for 食べなさい.
Between the bare imperative and てください sits なさい, added to the ます-stem: 食べなさい, 早く寝なさい. It is the voice of somebody with authority over the listener — parents to children, teachers to pupils — and the standard wording of exam instructions: 正しいものを選びなさい. Said to an adult equal, it sounds like a parent.
The form
stem (regular) stem (irregular) ending
| go! | 行け |
| wait! | 待て |
| eat! | 食べろ |
| go to bed! | 寝ろ |
| do it! | しろ |
| come here! | 来い |
| don't go | 行くな |
| don't wait | 待つな |
| don't eat | 食べるな |
| don't sleep | 寝るな |
| don't do it | するな |
| don't come | 来るな |
| go (parent, teacher) | 行きなさい |
| wait (parent, teacher) | 待ちなさい |
| eat (parent, teacher) | 食べなさい |
| go to bed (parent, teacher) | 寝なさい |
| do it (parent, teacher) | しなさい |
| come here (parent, teacher) | 来なさい |
The rules one by one
A う-verb moves its last kana to the e row; a る-verb replaces る with ろ.
危ない！止まれ！Look out! Stop!
する becomes しろ, and 来る becomes 来い.
こっちに来い！Come over here!
The dictionary form plus な forbids.
芝生に入るな。Keep off the grass.
The ます-stem plus なさい is a firm instruction from somebody with authority.
もう9時よ。早く寝なさい。It's nine o'clock. Off to bed now.
In reported speech the imperative is neutral, even in a polite sentence.
医者にお酒を飲むなと言われました。The doctor told me not to drink.
A closer look
Where the imperative is normal
The imperative is rude when it is aimed at a listener. Where nobody is being ordered about, it is ordinary. Reported speech is the main case: 早く来いと言われた "I was told to come quickly" is neutral, whatever words were actually used. Signs, slogans and exam papers use it too, because they address everybody and nobody.
Cheering is the other case. がんばれ shouted from the side of a pitch is warm, not rude, because it is said for the runner rather than at them. Said to a colleague, the same encouragement becomes がんばってください — and some speakers avoid even that with somebody senior, because encouraging a superior can itself sound presumptuous.
Exceptions and special cases (2)
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the verb is くれる
its imperative is くれ, not the くれろ its group would give.
その本、ちょっと貸してくれ。Lend me that book for a moment.
As a blunt request — ちょっと待ってくれ "hang on a moment" — it is used so often that it kept a short form of its own, just as the request word ください is a worn-down imperative of くださる.
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the instruction is written, as in rules, laws or exam papers
a る-verb may take よ instead of ろ, and する becomes せよ: 答えよ, 説明せよ.
次の問いに答えよ。Answer the following question.
This is the older written imperative, kept in formal writing where ろ would sound spoken.
How to spot it
- 〜け
- 〜て
- 〜れ
- 〜ろ
- しろ
- 来い
- 〜な
- 〜なさい
Example sentences
がんばれ！もう少しだ！Come on! Nearly there!
火事だ！早く逃げろ！Fire! Get out, quick!
次の文を読んで、質問に答えなさい。Read the following text and answer the questions.
ここでたばこを吸うな。Don't smoke here.
部長に、明日までに書類を出せと言われた。The department head told me to hand in the documents by tomorrow.
みんな、手を洗いなさい。Everybody, wash your hands.
7 more example sentences
待て！逃げるな！Stop! Don't run away!
危ないから、走るな。It's dangerous — don't run.
宿題を先にしなさい。Do your homework first.
試合の前、監督は「最後まで走れ」と言った。Before the match the coach said, "Keep running to the end."
父に、夜遅くまで遊ぶなと言われた。My father told me not to stay out late.
気をつけろ！車が来るぞ！Watch out! A car is coming!
次の言葉の意味を書きなさい。Write the meanings of the following words.
Worth knowing (1)
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な after the stem and な after the dictionary form
食べるな forbids: "don't eat it". 食べな, with な after the ます-stem, is a short 食べなさい: a friendly, slightly bossy "go on, eat". One syllable separates a warning from an encouragement, and the difference is whether the dictionary form comes first.
まだたくさんあるから、食べな。There's plenty more, so eat up.
The trap English speakers fall into
Watch out
English "sit here" is a perfectly polite imperative, and a learner who translates it word for word produces 座れ, which to a teacher sounds like an order barked at a subordinate. Japanese keeps requests in てください or softer forms; the bare imperative belongs to emergencies, sport, signs, and people who are allowed to be rough with each other.
The e-row or ろ to command, the dictionary form plus な to forbid — and てください for real people.
Your turn
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