The Curriculum
Chapter 8: Commands and Pronouns

Lesson 22: Imperatives

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Imperatives

Imperatives in Latin are used to issue commands or make requests. These verbs are in the present tense, and the imperative mood is typically used for direct instructions. The formation of the imperative depends on the verb conjugation and whether the command is singular or plural. Let's go through the conjugation patterns for imperatives in all four conjugations of Latin verbs.

1st Conjugation Verbs (e.g., amare - to love, portare - to carry):

Singular: Remove -re from the infinitive form.

Examples:
amare → ama (love)
portare → porta (carry)

Plural: Add -te to the singular imperative form.

Examples:
ama → amate (love, all of you)
porta → portate (carry, all of you)

2nd Conjugation Verbs (e.g., laudare - to praise, laborare - to work):

Singular: Remove -re from the infinitive form.

Examples:
laudare → lauda (praise)
laborare → labora (work)

Plural: Add -te to the singular imperative form.

Examples:
lauda → laudate (praise, all of you)
labora → laborate (work, all of you).

3rd Conjugation Verbs (e.g., mittere - to send, scribere - to write):

Singular: Remove -re from the infinitive form.

Examples:
mittere → mitte (send)
scribere → scribe (write)

Plural: Add -te to the singular imperative form.

Examples:
mitte → mittite (send, all of you)
scribe → scribite (write, all of you)

4th Conjugation Verbs (e.g., audire - to hear, venire - to come):

Singular: Remove -re from the infinitive form.

Examples:
audire → audi (hear)
venire → veni (come)

Plural: Add -te to the singular imperative form.

Examples:
audi → audite (hear, all of you)
veni → venite (come, all of you)

Summary of Imperative Endings:

Singular: Remove the -re ending from the infinitive.

Plural: Add -te to the singular imperative.

Examples in Sentences:

1st Conjugation: Ama puellam! - "Love the girl!"

2nd Conjugation: Lauda puellam! - "Praise the girl!"

3rd Conjugation: Mitte litteras! - "Send the letters!"

4th Conjugation: Veni ad portam! - "Come to the gate!"

Lesson Review Instructions:

Before checking the answers, write your responses on paper or in a digital document. Carefully review your work, ensuring each answer is complete. Once finished, compare your responses to the correct answers, noting any mistakes. If you find errors, identify patterns, revisit the lesson material, and review relevant vocabulary or grammar rules. Strengthen your understanding by practicing corrections and applying what you’ve learned in new examples.

Part A – Form the Imperative
Give the singular and plural imperative forms of each verb.

  1. amare (“to love”)

  2. laudare (“to praise”)

  3. mittere (“to send”)

  4. scribere (“to write”)

  5. audire (“to hear”)

Part B – Translate the Command
Translate these imperative forms into English.

  1. porta!

  2. laudate!

  3. mitte!

  4. audite!

  5. veni!

Lesson Answers Instructions

Compare your answers to the correct ones, paying attention to differences and patterns in mistakes. If you spot errors, review the related lesson material and take notes on tricky concepts. For further practice, rewrite corrected answers or create new sentences using the same rules. If anything remains unclear, revisit previous lessons or seek clarification. Regular review and application will reinforce your learning and improve retention.

  • Part A – Form the Imperative

    1. ama, amate

    2. lauda, laudate

    3. mitte, mittite

    4. scribe, scribite

    5. audi, audite

    Part B – Translate the Command

    1. Carry!

    2. Praise! (you all)

    3. Send!

    4. Hear! / Listen! (you all)

    5. Come!