Language/Polish/Grammar/The-Imperative-Mood

Polish → Grammar → 0 to A1 Course → The Imperative Mood

Welcome to our lesson on the Imperative Mood in Polish! Understanding this aspect of the language is essential for effective communication, especially when giving commands, making requests, or offering advice. The imperative mood allows you to express direct actions and intentions, which is a crucial part of everyday conversations.

In Polish, the imperative mood can seem a bit different from English, but once you grasp its structure and usage, you’ll find it quite manageable. This lesson will guide you through the basics of forming the imperative, different forms for singular and plural, as well as some nuances in politeness and emphasis.

The structure of our lesson will be as follows:

Introduction to the Imperative Mood

The imperative mood is used to give commands or make requests. It’s a way to tell someone to do something directly. In English, we say things like "Sit down!" or "Please pass the salt." Similarly, in Polish, there are specific forms and rules for creating these sentences.

Importance of the Imperative Mood

1. Everyday Communication: Mastering the imperative allows you to engage in daily conversations more naturally.

2. Politeness and Nuance: It helps you convey different levels of urgency or politeness depending on your choice of words and forms.

3. Cultural Relevance: Understanding the imperative can give insight into Polish cultural norms, especially regarding directness and politeness.

Overview of the Lesson

• Definition and Formation: We will explore how to form the imperative for regular verbs.

• Examples: You’ll see various examples showcasing different usages.

• Exercises: To solidify your understanding, we will have practice scenarios and exercises.

Definition and Formation of the Imperative

The imperative mood in Polish is formed primarily from the present tense of verbs. Here’s a breakdown of how to form it:

Singular vs. Plural

1. Singular (2nd Person): Used when addressing one person informally.

2. Plural (2nd Person): Used when addressing more than one person or in a polite context.

Regular Verb Formation

• For most verbs, the imperative is created by removing the infinitive ending and adding the appropriate ending.

• Here’s a simple formula:

• Infinitive: -ać, -ić, -ować (e.g., robić - to do)

• Singular: Drop the -ć, -ć to get "rób" (do).

• Plural: Add the suffix -cie to create "róbcie" (do - plural).

Example Table of Imperative Forms

Polish	Pronunciation	English
rób	ruub	do
róbcie	ruub-che	do (plural)
idź	idzh	go
idźcie	idzh-che	go (plural)
mów	moov	speak
mówcie	moov-che	speak (plural)
przynieś	pszi-nyeesh	bring
przynieście	pszi-nyeesh-che	bring (plural)
jedz	yedz	eat
jedzcie	yedz-che	eat (plural)

Examples of the Imperative Mood

Let’s dive deeper into some practical examples! Here are various commands and requests you can use in everyday situations.

Commands and Requests

• Basic Commands: These are straightforward and commonly used.

• Polite Requests: Adding 'proszę' (please) makes your requests sound more polite.

Example Table of Common Imperative Expressions

Polish	Pronunciation	English
Zrób to!	Zroob to!	Do it!
Proszę, zrób to!	Pro-sheh, zroob to!	Please, do it!
Idź do sklepu!	Idzh do skle-poo!	Go to the store!
Proszę, idź do sklepu!	Pro-sheh, idzh do skle-poo!	Please, go to the store!
Mów głośniej!	Moov glo-shnyei!	Speak louder!
Proszę, mów głośniej!	Pro-sheh, moov glo-shnyei!	Please, speak louder!
Przynieś mi wodę!	Pshi-nyeesh mee voh-deh!	Bring me water!
Proszę, przynieś mi wodę!	Pro-sheh, pshi-nyeesh mee voh-deh!	Please, bring me water!
Jedz więcej!	Yedz vyen-tseh!	Eat more!
Proszę, jedz więcej!	Pro-sheh, yedz vyen-tseh!	Please, eat more!

Special Cases and Nuances

As with any language, there are special cases to consider when using the imperative mood.

Irregular Verbs

Some verbs do not follow the regular rules for forming the imperative. Here are a few examples:

Polish	Pronunciation	English
bądź	bondj	be
bądźcie	bondj-che	be (plural)
weź	vehzh	take
weźcie	vehzh-che	take (plural)
daj	die	give
dajcie	die-che	give (plural)

Emphasizing Commands

Adding words can emphasize or soften the command:

• Emphasis: Use "naprawdę" (really) for stronger commands.

• Softening: Use "proszę" (please) to make it more polite.

Exercises for Practice

Now that you’ve learned about the imperative mood, it's time to practice! Below are exercises to help reinforce what you've learned.

Exercise 1: Forming the Imperative

Transform the following infinitive verbs into the imperative mood (singular and plural):

1. pisać (to write)

2. czytać (to read)

3. spać (to sleep)

Solutions to Exercise 1

• pisać → pisz (singular), piszcie (plural)

• czytać → czytaj (singular), czytajcie (plural)

• spać → śpij (singular), śpijcie (plural)

Exercise 2: Translate the Commands

Translate the following commands into Polish:

1. Read the book!

2. Go home!

3. Speak softly!

Solutions to Exercise 2

1. Czytaj książkę!

2. Idź do domu!

3. Mów cicho!

Exercise 3: Use Polite Requests

Transform the following commands into polite requests by adding "proszę":

1. Come here!

2. Help me!

3. Close the door!

Solutions to Exercise 3

1. Proszę, przyjdź tutaj!

2. Proszę, pomóż mi!

3. Proszę, zamknij drzwi!

Exercise 4: Identify the Imperative Mood

Identify whether the following sentences are in the imperative mood:

1. "Idź do pracy."

2. "Czytam książkę."

3. "Mów głośniej."

Solutions to Exercise 4

1. Yes, it is in the imperative mood.

2. No, it is in the indicative mood.

3. Yes, it is in the imperative mood.

Exercise 5: Create Your Own Commands

Write three commands using the imperative mood in Polish.

Solutions to Exercise 5

(Solutions will vary; examples could include):

1. Zjedz obiad! (Eat lunch!)

2. Przynieś mi książkę! (Bring me a book!)

3. Ucz się pilnie! (Study hard!)

Exercise 6: Polite vs. Direct

Rewrite the following commands to make them polite by adding "proszę":

1. Otwórz okno!

2. Daj mi to!

3. Zadzwoń do mnie!

Solutions to Exercise 6

1. Proszę, otwórz okno!

2. Proszę, daj mi to!

3. Proszę, zadzwoń do mnie!

Exercise 7: Matching Exercise

Match the Polish commands with their English translations:

1. Zrób to!

2. Przynieś mi kawę!

3. Mów wolniej!

a. Do it!

b. Bring me coffee!

c. Speak slower!

Solutions to Exercise 7

1 - a

2 - b

3 - c

Exercise 8: Identify the Irregular Verbs

Identify the irregular verbs in the following sentences:

1. Daj mi to!

2. Bądź ostrożny!

3. Weź to!

Solutions to Exercise 8

1. Daj (to give)

2. Bądź (to be)

3. Weź (to take)

Exercise 9: Forming Polite Requests

Transform the following sentences into polite requests:

1. Mów głośniej!

2. Przynieś mi wodę!

Solutions to Exercise 9

1. Proszę, mów głośniej!

2. Proszę, przynieś mi wodę!

Exercise 10: Complete the Sentences

Complete the following commands using the appropriate verb in the imperative mood:

1. __________ (jeść) więcej warzyw!

2. __________ (iść) na spacer!

Solutions to Exercise 10

1. Jedz więcej warzyw! (Eat more vegetables!)

2. Idź na spacer! (Go for a walk!)

Congratulations on completing this lesson on the imperative mood! By practicing these commands and requests, you have taken a significant step in your journey to mastering Polish.

Table of Contents - Polish Course - 0 to A1

• Course Presentation

  ---

Alphabet and Pronunciation

• Polish Alphabet
• Pronunciation Rules

  ---

Greetings and Introductions

• Basic Greetings
• Introducing Yourself

  ---

Basic Sentence Structure

• Subject-Verb-Object
• Questions and Negations

  ---

Numbers and Time

• Numbers 1-100
• Telling Time

  ---

Nouns and Articles

• Noun Gender
• Definite and Indefinite Articles

  ---

Family and Relationships

• Family Members
• Relationship Status

  ---

Adjectives and Adverbs

• Adjective Agreement
• Comparative and Superlative

  ---

Food and Dining

• Common Foods
• Eating Out

  ---

Verbs and Tenses

• Present Tense
• Past Tense

  ---

Travel and Transportation

• Modes of Transportation
• Travel Phrases

  ---

Polish Customs and Traditions

• Holidays and Celebrations
• Polish Cuisine

Sources

• The Complete Guide to Polish Imperative Verbs
• Imperative (Tryb rozkazujący) - Polish Language Grammar | Course ...
• Polish Grammar - Imperative Mood

Other Lessons

• Possessive Case in Polish
• Give your Opinion
• Negation
• Gender
• Cases
• Plural
• Imperative Mood
• Conditional Sentences
• Questions