命令形
direct command
The imperative form (命令形) is the bare, forceful command: 食べろ (“eat!”), 行け (“go!”). It gives an order with no politeness attached.
Because it is so blunt, it appears mainly in rough or urgent speech, cheering, and reported commands. For everyday polite requests, Japanese uses ～てください instead.
1. Blunt orders in rough or urgent speech
In an emergency, or between people speaking very roughly, the imperative is a direct order.
早く逃げろ！
“Run, quick!”
- 早く（はやく）= quickly
- 逃げろ（にげろ）= run! / get away! (command)
2. Cheering and fixed shouts
The imperative is the standard form for cheering someone on. Here it sounds encouraging, not rude.
最後まで頑張れ！
“Hang in there until the end!”
- 最後（さいご）= the end
- まで = until
- 頑張れ（がんばれ）= hang in there! / do your best! (cheer)
3. Quoted or reported commands with と
When reporting what someone ordered, the imperative appears before the quotation particle と. This is very common and carries no rudeness of its own.
医者に休めと言われた。
“The doctor told me to rest.”
- 医者（いしゃ）= doctor
- に = by (agent marker)
- 休め（やすめ）= rest! (command)
- と = quotation particle
- 言われた（いわれた）= was told
Imperative 行け vs prohibitive 行くな
The prohibitive ～な is the imperative's mirror image: 行け = “go!” while 行くな (dictionary form + な) = “don't go!”. One commands the action, the other forbids it.
How to form it
Godan (u-verbs): change the final u-sound to the e-row. Ichidan (ru-verbs): drop る and add ろ (the literary variant uses よ: 食べよ). Irregular verbs have their own forms.
- 行く（いく）= to go → 行け（いけ）= go!
- 飲む（のむ）= to drink → 飲め（のめ）= drink!
- 止まる（とまる）= to stop → 止まれ（とまれ）= stop!
- 食べる（たべる）= to eat → 食べろ（たべろ）= eat! (literary: 食べよ)
- する = to do → しろ = do it! (literary: せよ)
- 来る（くる）= to come → 来い（こい）= come!
Key idea
The imperative is the shortest, most forceful way to demand an action. Expect it in emergencies, from sports fans, on drill sergeants' lips, and inside quotes with と. Reach for ～てください whenever you actually want someone to do something for you.
Other N4 grammar
Updated .