Request and command: γράψε, γράψτε, μην γράφεις
The Greek imperative comes in two storeys: one form for "you" (one person), another for "you" (several people). The second doubles as the polite address to a stranger — what you will use at the office, at the doctor and in shops almost always. For example: “Συμπληρώστε την αίτηση, παρακαλώ” — Fill in the form, please. A rule from the Greek course: worked out on examples, not memorized as a wording.
How it works
The Greek imperative comes in two storeys: one form for "you" (one person), another for "you" (several people). The second doubles as the polite address to a stranger — what you will use at the office, at the doctor and in shops almost always.
The stem is the aorist one — the very stem you learned with the word: γράψ-, πε-, δώσ-. To it come -ε for the singular and -τε for the plural: γράψε (grápse) — γράψτε (grápste), δώσε (dóse) — δώστε (dóste).
If the action lasts or repeats, the command is built from the present stem: Περίμενε (perímene) — Περιμένετε (wait — wait, politely). The difference is that between "wait a second" and "wait for me every evening".
A negative imperative does not exist at all. In its place — μην (min) with an ordinary verb form: Μην αγγίζετε (min angízete) — don't touch, Μην το κάνεις (min to kánis) — don't do it. Trying to say "μην γράψτε (min grápste)" sounds as wrong as "don't you to write".
A request is softened by παρακαλώ (parakaló) at the end — but without it the bare imperative sounds harsher in Greek than you most likely intend.
Table
| to one person | to several, and polite | in English |
|---|---|---|
| γράψε | γράψτε | write! |
| πες μου | πείτε μου | tell me! |
| δώσε μου | δώστε μου | give me! |
| έλα | ελάτε | come here! |
| πάρε | πάρτε | take! |
By example
- Συμπληρώστε την αίτηση, παρακαλώsimbliróste tin étisi, parakalóFill in the form, please
- Περιμένετε λίγοperiménete lígoWait a minute
- Μην αγγίζετε τίποταmin angízete típotaDon't touch anything
How the rule settles in your head
A rule is not memorized from an explanation. It is memorized from an attempt to use it and a mistake — that is why the app delivers it mixed in with words, not as a separate lesson: it resurfaces exactly where you forgot it.
Frequently asked
Request and command: how does it work in Greek?
The Greek imperative comes in two storeys: one form for "you" (one person), another for "you" (several people). The second doubles as the polite address to a stranger — what you will use at the office, at the doctor and in shops almost always.
What does it look like in an example sentence Greek?
“Συμπληρώστε την αίτηση, παρακαλώ” (simbliróste tin étisi, parakaló) — Fill in the form, please. A rule is easier to test on sentences like this than to memorize as a wording: what surfaces in conversation is the sentence.