Imperative & Prohibition (命令形 / 〜な): Blunt Commands
Building the command from each verb group
Start with the mechanics, because the imperative is a genuine conjugation — it changes the verb itself, following the same three groups you already sort verbs into.
| Verb type | Rule | Example |
|---|---|---|
| う-verbs (Group 1) | final u-sound → e-sound | 行く → 行け / 飲む → 飲め / 待つ → 待て |
| る-verbs (Group 2) | drop る, add ろ | 食べる → 食べろ / 見る → 見ろ |
| する | irregular | する → しろ (formal: せよ) |
| 来る | irregular | 来る → 来い (こい) |
Prohibition — the "don't do it" partner — needs no conjugation at all. Take the plain dictionary form and tack on な:
| Verb | Prohibition | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| 行く | 行くな | Don't go |
| 見る | 見るな | Don't look |
| する | するな | Don't do it |
| 来る | 来るな | Don't come |
早く来い！
はやく こい！
Come here, now!
来る → 来い (こい), the irregular imperative.
ヤッタン、まだ食べるな！
ヤッタン、まだ たべるな！
Yattan, don't eat yet!
食べる + な = prohibition.
What the command actually conveys
The imperative form (命令形, meirei-kei) is a one-word, no-politeness command — "Go!", "Eat!", "Stop!". It feels strong and rough, and in conversation it sounds masculine and a bit aggressive. You'll meet it most in orders from a superior, on signs, in sports and cheering, in set phrases, and when someone is angry. Its partner, prohibition な, carries the same force in the other direction: "Don't do that!"
Because that force is so blunt, most everyday instruction routes around the bare form. Two gentler patterns cover almost every real conversation:
モチ、ちょっと待ってください。
モチ、ちょっと まって ください。
Mochi, please wait a moment.
〜てください is the normal polite request.
ヤッタンの弟、毎日漢字を勉強しなさい。
ヤッタンの おとうと、まいにち かんじを べんきょう しなさい。
Yattan's little brother, study kanji every day.
〜なさい is a firm but caring order — common from parents and teachers.
The form 〜なさい (made from the ます-stem + なさい: 勉強する → 勉強しなさい) is a step down in harshness from the imperative — still a command, but the kind a parent or teacher uses. For polite requests, 〜てください is your go-to.
The conjugation traps
- Mixing up the two -na's. Prohibition な attaches to the dictionary form (行くな = "don't go"). The soft sentence-ender ね/な (行くなあ = "I think I'll go…") attaches to a complete sentence and just adds feeling. Same syllable, opposite jobs.
- Using the imperative to be polite. 食べろ is not "please eat" — it's "Eat!" barked at someone. Use 〜てください for requests.
- Conjugating る-verbs like う-verbs. 見る is a る-verb, so it's 見ろ, not 見れ. Check the verb group first.
- Forgetting 来る and する are irregular. They become 来い and しろ, never 来れ or すろ.
Where you actually meet it
These forms are not for everyday politeness — they show up in specific, high-energy or top-down situations.
負けるな、ヤッタン！
まけるな、ヤッタン！
Don't lose, Yattan!
Cheering at a match — な prohibition with a supportive feel.
先生は「静かにしろ」と言った。
せんせいは「しずかに しろ」と いった。
The teacher said, 'Be quiet.'
しろ from する — a sharp order, softened by quoting it.
ここに車を止めるな。
ここに くるまを とめるな。
Do not park your car here.
Sign language — short and impersonal.
Because the tone is so blunt, the imperative is often used inside a quote (〜と言った) when you report what someone ordered, even if you'd never say it that directly yourself.
The short version
- う-verbs: final u → e (行く→行け, 飲む→飲め, 待つ→待て).
- る-verbs: drop る, add ろ (食べる→食べろ, 見る→見ろ).
- Irregulars: する→しろ (せよ), 来る→来い.
- Prohibition: dictionary form + な (行くな = "don't go").
- All of these sound harsh — use 〜てください for polite requests and 〜なさい for firm but gentle orders.
Practice it
Form the imperative or the 〜な prohibition for each verb.
＿＿＿に入れるのに最もよいものを選びなさい。
Choose the grammar pattern that best completes the sentence.
危ないから、早くあっちへ＿＿＿！
Frequently asked questions
How do I make the imperative form?
For う-verbs, change the final u-sound to e: 行く→行け, 飲む→飲め, 待つ→待て. For る-verbs, drop る and add ろ: 食べる→食べろ, 見る→見ろ. The irregulars are する→しろ (formal せよ) and 来る→来い.
How do I say 'don't' do something?
Add な to the dictionary form: 行くな ('don't go'), 見るな ('don't look'), するな ('don't do it'). This is the prohibition な and it's blunt, like the imperative.
Is the imperative rude?
Usually yes — it's rough and sounds masculine and forceful. It fits orders, signs, sports, anger, and quoted commands. For everyday politeness use 〜てください; for a firm but caring order use 〜なさい.
Is prohibition な the same as the ね/な at the end of a sentence?
No. Prohibition な attaches to a dictionary-form verb (行くな = 'don't go'). The softener ね/な attaches to a whole sentence to add feeling (行くなあ = 'I think I'll go'). They look the same but do opposite things.
Where Imperative & Prohibition fits
Shaky on this? Get these solid first
- 〜ます · N5 — 〜ます is the polite verb ending. Learn ます (non-past), ません (negative), ました (past), and ませんでした (past negative), how to build the stem, and when to be polite.
Don't confuse it with
- 〜なさい · N4 — 〜なさい gives a firm, polite command: verb ます-stem + なさい (食べなさい, 行きなさい). Used by parents, teachers, and exam instructions. Learn the formation and the casual 〜な.
- Volitional Form · N4 — The plain volitional form means 'let's ~' or 'I'll ~'. Learn how to make 〜よう/〜おう from every verb type, how it relates to 〜ましょう, and what it builds toward.
Once this clicks, go on to
- Potential Form · N4 — The potential form means 'can / be able to': 食べる→食べられる, 書く→書ける, する→できる. Learn how to form it by verb group, the が particle shift, and ら-抜き.
More N4 grammar to explore
Keep going with related patterns at the same level:
- Conditional 〜ば — The 〜ば conditional says 'if A, then B' for general truths and natural results: 押せば開く. Learn the verb, い-adjective, and negative forms, plus 〜ば〜ほど.
- Conditional 〜なら — 〜なら is the contextual 'if': it picks up a topic or premise — 日本に行くなら京都がいい. Learn the formation, how it differs from ば・たら・と, and why the main clause can come first.
- Conditional 〜たら — 〜たら is Japanese's most flexible conditional: just add ら to the plain past. Learn the formation, the 'if/when' meaning, the discovery use, and how it beats ば/と for requests.
- 〜ても — 〜ても means 'even if' or 'even though': 雨が降っても行く. Learn the て-form base, でも after voiced verbs, the い-adj and noun patterns, and question word + ても.
- Conditional 〜と — The と conditional links A to an inevitable result B: 春になると、桜が咲く. Learn the plain-form formation, why B can't be a request, and how it differs from ば/たら/なら.