The imperative (فعل الأمر) is the verb form used to give commands or make requests. In Arabic, imperatives are formed by modifying the present tense (jussive form) and are only used for second-person pronouns (you). Commands directed at other persons use different grammatical constructions.
How to Form the Imperative
- Start with the present tense jussive form of the verb.
- Remove the prefix letter (تَ).
- If the resulting word begins with a consonant cluster (two consonants with no vowel), add a hamzat al-wasl (connective hamza) at the beginning.
- The vowel of the hamza depends on the vowel of the عين in the present tense: if it is ضمة, use اُ; otherwise use اِ.
Examples
- تَكْتُبُ → اُكْتُبْ (Write! — to a male). The عين vowel is ضمة, so the hamza takes ضمة.
- تَجْلِسُ → اِجْلِسْ (Sit! — to a male). The عين vowel is كسرة, so the hamza takes كسرة.
- تَفْتَحُ → اِفْتَحْ (Open! — to a male). The عين vowel is فتحة, so the hamza takes كسرة (default for فتحة).
For feminine and plural forms, retain the appropriate suffixes: اُكْتُبِي (write! — to a female), اُكْتُبُوا (write! — to a group of males), اُكْتُبْنَ (write! — to a group of females). These follow the same suffix patterns as the present tense.
The imperative is very common in everyday Arabic and appears frequently in the Quran and Hadith. Pay attention to imperative forms as you read Arabic text — recognizing them will significantly improve your comprehension.