Japanese Command Form || For ALL Verb Groups

Q: How to make a command in Japanese?

Making a command in Japanese will depend on the verb. If a verb from group 1: Replace the final -u syllable with its corresponding -e syllable. Ex: 書く (kaku, to write) becomes 書け (kake, write it!) If a verb from group 2: Remove the final る ru syllable (making the word into its ます masu stem) and add ろ ro. Ex: 食べる (taberu, to eat) becomes 食べろ (tabero, eat!) If an irregular verb: Attach なさい (nasai) to the ます (masu) stem form of the verb. Ex: します (shimasu, to do) becomes しなさい (shinasai, do it please)

Q: How to make a request in Japanese?

To form a sentence asking someone to do something, we will use the verb in て form of the action we want them to do. The basic structure is: Verb て form ＋ ください ください (kudasai) could be translated by “please give me”.

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JAPANESE COMMAND FORM

The Japanese Command Form will come in handy when making requests are not enough for what you want to obtain!

This lesson will make plenty of references to Japanese verbs, so make sure you review the lesson about plain form verbs, as well as the one about special verbs.

INTRODUCTION TO THE COMMAND FORM

Commands are the more forceful option compared to requests.

Even in its most polite form, using it tends to put you in a position above the person you are speaking to.

When speaking casually, the て (te) form of a verb can act as a command form.

It is more suitable for speaking to equals:

KANJI	ROMAJI	ENGLISH
待って	matte	Wait
言って	itte	Tell me
立って	tatte	Stand up

Verbs also have a command form that we can conjugate them into. This makes any verb into a short quick command.

Now let’s see in the next chapters how to conjugate the Japanese command forms.

JAPANESE COMMAND FORM || GROUP 1 VERBS

Let’s have a look into conjugating group 1 verbs.

PATTERN

Replace the final -u syllable with its corresponding -e syllable

REVIEW || We explain what are group 1 verbs extensively in this lesson.

EXAMPLE 1

書く	書く　→　け	書け
kaku	~~kaku~~ → ke	kake
To write		Write it!

EXAMPLE 2

待つ	待つ　→　て	待て
matsu	~~matsu~~ → te	mate
To wait		Wait!

JAPANESE COMMAND FORM || GROUP 2 VERBS

To conjugate the group 2 verbs and make it a command, you need to:

PATTERN

Remove the final る ru syllable (making the word into its ます masu stem) and add ろ ro

EXAMPLE 1

食べる	~~食べる~~　＋　ろ	食べろ
taberu	~~taberu~~ + ro	tabero
To eat		Eat!

EXAMPLE 2

逃げる	~~逃げる~~　＋　ろ	逃げろ
nigeru	nigeru + ro	nigero
To run away		Run away!

JAPANESE COMMAND FORM || IRREGULAR VERBS

Let’s have two examples first, we’ll explain after:

する	suru	To do
しろ	shiro	Do it!

来る	kuru	To come
来い	koi	Come here!

This form really puts the speaker above the listener, which is why it’s used by people like bosses to sound in control.

To be commanding but in a more polite way, we can use なさい (nasai).

なさい is the honorific form of しろ (shiro), which the imperative form of the verb する (suru).

To use it, we will attach it to the ます (masu) stem form of the verb we are commanding someone to do:

PATTERN

Verb in ます stem form + なさい

します	します　＋　なさい	しなさい
shimasu	shi~~masu~~ + nasai	shinasai
To do		Do it please

This way of asking someone to do something still has the nuance of talking to someone of a lower position, like a parent telling a child to do their homework.

It would sound strange and condescending to speak like this to a friend or someone above you!

^{bangohan wo tabenasai}

番ご飯を食べなさい

_{Eat your dinner}

^{shukudai wo shinasai}

宿題をしなさい

_{Do your homework}

The opposite of this form, as in to say “don’t do~!”, would be plain form verb + な

PATTERN

Plain form verb + な

This form, like the command form, puts the speaker in an authority position over the listener.

^{okureru na}

送れるな

_{Don’t be late}

^{modotte kuru na}

戻ってくるな

_{Don’t come back!}

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FAQs

How to make a command in Japanese?

Making a command in Japanese will depend on the verb.

If a verb from group 1: Replace the final -u syllable with its corresponding -e syllable. Ex: 書く (kaku, to write) becomes 書け (kake, write it!)

If a verb from group 2: Remove the final る ru syllable (making the word into its ます masu stem) and add ろ ro. Ex: 食べる (taberu, to eat) becomes 食べろ (tabero, eat!)

If an irregular verb: Attach なさい (nasai) to the ます (masu) stem form of the verb. Ex: します (shimasu, to do) becomes しなさい (shinasai, do it please)

How to make a request in Japanese?

To form a sentence asking someone to do something, we will use the verb in て form of the action we want them to do.

The basic structure is:

Verb て form　＋　ください

ください (kudasai) could be translated by “please give me”.

What are honorifics in Japanese?

Honorifics can be described as multiple levels of politeness or respectfulness. It is used in the Japanese, Korean and Javanese languages.

In Japanese there are three levels of honorifics:

Polite language (丁寧語, teineigo);

Respectful language (尊敬語, sonkeigo);

Humble language (謙譲語, kenjōgo, or “modest language”)

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How to improve my Japanese speaking skills?

To improve your Japanese speaking skills we strongly recommend speaking with a native speaker, be it a friend or a teacher. This way, you can get instant feedback on your pronunciation and improve your listening skills as well.

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Where to review the Japanese alphabets?

Here are some links to help you learn the Japanese alphabets:

– Learn Katakana

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– The 3 Japanese alphabets