Imperative
Asking, instructing, inviting and forbidding. Hebrew has three ways to give an instruction, and the one you pick shows how formal, blunt or polite you are.
The imperative is built from the future: take the “you” form and drop the ת. If you know the future, you already know almost all of it.
Three ways to give an instruction
Imperative, future and infinitive
The imperative has its own form: שֵׁב, כְּתֹב, דַּבֵּר. It is the form of books, of the army and of short commands.
In everyday speech Israelis often use the future instead of the imperative: תֵּשֵׁב, תִּכְתֹּב, תְּדַבֵּר. For a general instruction that is not aimed at a particular person, they use the infinitive: לָשֶׁבֶת, לֹא לְעַשֵּׁן.
The imperative exists only in the second person: אַתָּה, אַתְּ, אַתֶּם and אַתֶּן. There is no imperative for “I” or “he”.
Imperative
shev
Sit! Short and direct: a command, an instruction, or a short common verb.
Future as imperative
teshev
Sit! The normal way in speech. It sounds softer.
Infinitive
lashevet
To sit: for everyone and no one in particular. Signs, recipes, instructions.
Building the imperative from the futurethe core rule
Drop the ת
Take the future of אַתָּה, אַתְּ or אַתֶּם and drop the ת at the start: תִּכְתֹּב → כְּתֹב, תִּכְתְּבִי → כִּתְבִי, תִּכְתְּבוּ → כִּתְבוּ.
The endings stay exactly as in the future: ־ִי for a woman, ־וּ for a group. The masculine singular has no ending.
When the ת falls away, two shvas sometimes meet at the start, and then the vowel shifts: תִּכְתְּבִי → כִּתְבִי (not כְּתְבִי).
Three steps, one verb
The imperative in every binyan
| Binyan | Future (you, m.) | To a man | To a woman | To a group |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| פָּעַל | תִּכְתֹּב | כְּתֹב | כִּתְבִי | כִּתְבוּ |
| פִּעֵל | תְּדַבֵּר | דַּבֵּר | דַּבְּרִי | דַּבְּרוּ |
| הִפְעִיל | תַּזְמִין | הַזְמֵן | הַזְמִינִי | הַזְמִינוּ |
| הִתְפַּעֵל | תִּתְלַבֵּשׁ | הִתְלַבֵּשׁ | הִתְלַבְּשִׁי | הִתְלַבְּשׁוּ |
| נִפְעַל | תִּכָּנֵס | הִכָּנֵס | הִכָּנְסִי | הִכָּנְסוּ |
In הִתְפַּעֵל and נִפְעַל the ת is replaced by ה: תִּתְלַבֵּשׁ → הִתְלַבֵּשׁ, תִּכָּנֵס → הִכָּנֵס. In הִפְעִיל the vowel changes in the masculine: תַּזְמִין → הַזְמֵן.
Why does the ה come back?
In הִתְפַּעֵל, נִפְעַל and הִפְעִיל the infinitive starts with ה or לְה: לְהִתְלַבֵּשׁ, לְהִכָּנֵס, לְהַזְמִין. The imperative brings that ה back. If you are not sure, take a look at the infinitive.
Quick check
What is the imperative for a woman?
תִּסְגְּרִי ← ___
The short imperatives of every daylearn by heart
Eight words you will hear everywhere
The shortest, most common verbs are said in the imperative even in speech: בּוֹא, לֵךְ, שֵׁב, קוּם, תֵּן, קַח. They are short, and their future adds nothing. Most of them belong to the “irregular” families (weak roots), so it is worth learning them as they are.
Want to know why תֵּן has no נ and why שֵׁב has no י? The weak roots lesson explains it.
Eight useful imperatives
| Meaning | To a man | To a woman | To a group |
|---|---|---|---|
| come | בּוֹא | בּוֹאִי | בּוֹאוּ |
| go | לֵךְ | לְכִי | לְכוּ |
| sit | שֵׁב | שְׁבִי | שְׁבוּ |
| get up | קוּם | קוּמִי | קוּמוּ |
| give | תֵּן | תְּנִי | תְּנוּ |
| take | קַח | קְחִי | קְחוּ |
| do | עֲשֵׂה | עֲשִׂי | עֲשׂוּ |
| wait | חַכֵּה | חַכִּי | חַכּוּ |
“בוא נ...”: how to say “let’s”
בּוֹא נֵלֵךְ לַיָּם.
bo nelekh la-yam
Let’s go to the beach. — בּוֹא + נֵלֵךְ, an invitation to do something together.
בּוֹאוּ נַתְחִיל.
bo’u natkhil
Let’s start. — to a group: בּוֹאוּ.
חַכִּי רֶגַע, אֲנִי כְּבָר בָּא.
khaki rega, ani kvar ba
Wait a moment, I’m coming. — חַכִּי is the imperative to a woman.
בּוֹא / בּוֹאִי / בּוֹאוּ + the “we” future (נֵלֵךְ, נַתְחִיל) is the most natural way to invite someone to do something together.
What people really say: the politeness ladder
The future is the imperative of the street
To Israeli ears a full imperative like סְגֹר or הַזְמֵן sounds blunt, formal or written. In speech people say תִּסְגֹּר, תַּזְמִין, תָּבִיא. It is not a mistake; it is spoken Hebrew.
To soften it, add בְּבַקָּשָׁה (please), or turn the instruction into a question: אֶפְשָׁר…? (can I / could…?), אַתָּה יָכוֹל…? (can you…?), תּוּכַל…? (could you…?).
Tone does half the work: the same תִּסְגֹּר can be a warm request or an order, depending on how you say it.
From blunt to polite: one request, five levels
סְגֹר אֶת הַחַלּוֹן!
sgor et ha-khalon
Close the window! — imperative: blunt, almost an order.
תִּסְגֹּר אֶת הַחַלּוֹן.
tisgor et ha-khalon
Close the window. — future: the normal way among friends and at home.
תִּסְגֹּר אֶת הַחַלּוֹן, בְּבַקָּשָׁה.
tisgor et ha-khalon, bevakasha
Close the window, please. — future + please: polite and everyday.
אֶפְשָׁר לִסְגֹּר אֶת הַחַלּוֹן?
efshar lisgor et ha-khalon?
Could the window be closed? — אֶפְשָׁר + infinitive: indirect and gentle.
תּוּכַל לִסְגֹּר אֶת הַחַלּוֹן, בְּבַקָּשָׁה?
tukhal lisgor et ha-khalon, bevakasha?
Could you close the window, please? — תּוּכַל (future of “can”) + please: the most polite.
At work, in a shop and with strangers, start from the third level and up.
נָא: the imperative of signs
Formal writing uses נָא + infinitive: נָא לְהַמְתִּין (please wait), נָא לִשְׁמֹר עַל הַשֶּׁקֶט (please keep quiet). It is the “please” of announcements and signs. In speech it is hardly ever said.
How to forbid: אַל + futurecommon mistake
The imperative has no negative
You cannot negate an imperative. To say “don’t”, take the negative word אַל followed by the future: אַל תִּדְאַג, אַל תִּשְׁכְּחִי, אַל תִּגְּעוּ.
אַל belongs only to requests and prohibitions. לֹא negates facts: לֹא תִּדְאַג means “you will not worry”, a prediction and not a request.
אַל is always followed by the future, for one person or for a group. אַל כְּתֹב (imperative) is a mistake.
Four prohibitions worth knowing
al tid’ag
don’t worry (to a man)
al tishkekhi
don’t forget (to a woman)
al tig’u
don’t touch (to a group)
al tedaber iti kakha
don’t talk to me like that
To a specific person
al te’ashen kan
Don’t smoke here. אַל + future: speaking to someone.
To everyone
lo le’ashen
No smoking. לֹא + infinitive: signs and general instructions.
Quick check
Which negative word fits?
___ תִּדְאֲגִי, הַכֹּל בְּסֵדֶר.
Instructions, recipes and mistakes
The infinitive for addressing everyone
Recipes, user manuals, exams and signs speak to everyone at once. Instead of choosing between masculine, feminine and plural, they use the infinitive: לְעַרְבֵּב, לְהוֹסִיף, לִקְרֹא אֶת הַשְּׁאֵלָה.
Parents use it too, as a general, no-nonsense instruction: לָשֶׁבֶת! לְהִתְלַבֵּשׁ, מַהֵר!
A recipe: all in the infinitive
לְחַמֵּם תַּנּוּר לְ־180 מַעֲלוֹת.
lekhamem tanur le-me’a ve-shmonim ma’alot
Heat the oven to 180 degrees.
לְעַרְבֵּב קֶמַח, סֻכָּר וּבֵיצִים.
le’arbev kemakh, sukar u-veitsim
Mix flour, sugar and eggs.
לֶאֱפוֹת 30 דַּקּוֹת.
le’efot shloshim dakot
Bake for 30 minutes.
Common mistakes
- לֹא תִּדְאַגאַל תִּדְאַג
Requests and prohibitions are negated with אַל. לֹא תִּדְאַג is a prediction (“you won’t worry”), not a request.
- אַל כְּתֹבאַל תִּכְתֹּב
After אַל comes the future, not the imperative.
- דָּנָה, בּוֹא!דָּנָה, בּוֹאִי!
For a woman, add ־ִי: בּוֹאִי.
- יְלָדִים, שֵׁב!יְלָדִים, שְׁבוּ!
For a group, add ־וּ: שְׁבוּ.
What to remember
- Imperative = the “you” future without the ת. The endings ־ִי and ־וּ stay.
- In הִתְפַּעֵל, נִפְעַל and הִפְעִיל the ה comes back: הִתְלַבֵּשׁ, הִכָּנֵס, הַזְמֵן.
- In speech the future works as the imperative; to be polite, add please or ask a question.
- “Don’t” = אַל + future. For everyone = לֹא + infinitive.
Practice the words from this lesson
The same words, five ways to play. Your best score is kept on this device; sign in to earn XP and keep your streak.
Ready to Test Your Knowledge?
Match each Hebrew word to its correct English translation. Build your streak and show off your skills! 🎯
- 10 questions
How was this lesson?
Thirty seconds of your feedback shapes the next lesson.
Tap a star to start
All your Hebrew in your pocket
Download the app and keep learning anywhere: lessons, practice, games and progress synced with your account.
Smart practice anytime
Short lessons, games and flashcards same as the web, just in your pocket.
Reminders and daily streaks
Gentle notifications that keep you consistent, without the noise.
Works offline too
The words and lessons you started keep working on the bus.
Scan with your camera to download
Frequently asked questions
- “תשב” or “שב”: which is correct?
- Both are correct. שֵׁב is the standard imperative, and תֵּשֵׁב is the future used as an imperative in speech. In writing and formal situations the imperative is better; in everyday conversation the future sounds natural and softer.
- Why can’t I say “לא שב”?
- Hebrew has no negative imperative. A prohibition is built with אַל and the future: אַל תֵּשֵׁב. לֹא with the future (לֹא תֵּשֵׁב) is a statement about the future, or a solemn biblical-style prohibition (לֹא תִּגְנֹב, “thou shalt not steal”).
- How do I ask for something politely?
- The simplest way: future + בְּבַקָּשָׁה (תָּבִיא לִי מַיִם, בְּבַקָּשָׁה: bring me some water, please). Even more polite: a question with אֶפְשָׁר or תּוּכַל (תּוּכַל לַעֲזֹר לִי? could you help me?). In a shop people usually say אֶפְשָׁר + noun: אֶפְשָׁר קָפֶה? (can I have a coffee?).
- What does “בוא נ...” mean?
- It is the Hebrew “let’s”: בּוֹא (or בּוֹאִי / בּוֹאוּ, depending on who is listening) + the “we” future. בּוֹאוּ נֵלֵךְ (let’s go), בּוֹא נְדַבֵּר (let’s talk). In speech you will also hear יַאלְלָה, נֵלֵךְ.
Finished this lesson?
Mark it complete to track your path through the grammar course.