Imperative. (#0006)

1. The imperative is also referred to as the 'command' form, because you use it when you want to 'order' one (singular) or more (plural) persons to do something.

2. To form the imperative you need to know two forms of the present/future tense of the verb: the first person singular and third person plural.

3. The stem for the imperative will be the same as the stem for the third person plural, and the accent will be on the same syllable as in the first person singular.

4. If the stem in the third person plural ends in a vowel, to form the imperative you add the ending -й for the singular (when you command one person), and the ending -йте when you command more than one person.

5. The accent will be on the same syllable as in the first person singular:

   Present tense		Imperative
   1st singular	3rd plural	2nd singular	2nd plural
   читА-ю	читА-ют	читА-й	читА-йте
   слУша-ю	слУша-ют	слУша-й	слУша-йте

6. If the stem ends in a consonant, then you need to look at the accent of the first person singular before you form the imperative.

7. If the stem ends in a consonant and the accent is on the ending of the first person singular form, you add the ending -и for the singular form and -ите for the plural:

   Present tense		Imperative
   1st singular	3rd plural	2nd singular	2nd plural
   говор-Ю	говор-Ят	говор-И	говор-Ите
   спрош-У	спрОс-ят	спрос-И	спрос-Ите

8. If the stem ends in a consonant and the accent is on the stem of the first person singular form, you add the ending -ь for the singular form and -ьте for the plural:

   Present tense		Imperative
   1st singular	3rd plural	2nd singular	2nd plural
   готОв-лю	готОв-ят	готОв-ь	готОв-ьте
   отвЕч-у	отвЕт-ят	отвЕт-ь	отвЕт-ьте

9. If the stem ends in a consonant cluster we use the endings -и, -ите (unaccented), instead of the expected -ь, -ьте :

   Present tense		Imperative
   1st singular	3rd plural	2nd singular	2nd plural
   пОмн-ю	пОмн-ят	пОмн-и	пОмн-ите

10. The imperative of some verbs is irregular, and you simply have to memorize it:

    Present tense		Imperative
    1st singular	3rd plural	2nd singular	2nd plural
    поед-у	поед-ут	поезжа-й	поезжа-йте

11. To form the imperative of reflexive verbs you follow the same rules. Add the reflexive particle after you have formed the imperative:

The imperative and aspect

1. You would normally use the perfective form of a verb if your 'command' stresses the completion of the action, and the imperfective form if the command stresses the actual activity:

   Приготовьте обед в 2 часа! Emphasis on having supper cooked by 2.

   Готовьте обед! Emphasis on what needs to be done.

2. If you command someone not to do something, you would normally use the imperfective aspect:

   Не читайте эту газету!
   Не говорите мне об этом!
   Не проходите к нам!

3. Russian does not have a third person imperative. Instead, Russian uses the word пусть (let) and the verb in the present or perfective future tense.

   Пусть Олег проготовить обед. Пусть Нина напишет письмо.

4. Russian also has a first person plural imperative construction, which is equivalent to the English "let's". You would use it when you want to suggest to someone that you do something together.

5. If the verb is imperfective, you use the word давай (singular) or давайте (plural) and the verb in the infinitive:

   Давайте играть в шахматы.
   Давайте смотреть телевизор.
   

6. If the verb is perfective, you use the first person plural form of the verb without a subject, with or without the word давай:

   Пойдём в парк.
   Давай поможем маме.