The Imperative Mood (Imperativ) in Serbian
Imperative Mood (Imperativ / Zapovedni način)
Expresses commands and requests in 2nd sg. (-j, -i), 1st pl. (-jmo, -imo), and 2nd pl. (-jte, -ite), with negative commands formed with nemoj / nemojte.
In Serbian grammar, the *Imperative Mood (Imperativ / Zapovedni način)* expresses direct commands, orders, invitations, and polite requests directed to the listener or group. Morphologically, it possesses synthetic forms for 2nd person singular, 1st person plural, and 2nd person plural:
1. Imperative Formation Paradigms: - Verbs with vowel stems in Present (A-type & E-type in -je-) take -j, -jmo, -jte: - čitati → čitaj! (read!), čitajmo! (let's read!), čitajte!* (read pl./polite!) - piti → pij!, pijmo!, pijte! - gledati → gledaj!, gledajmo!, gledajte! - Verbs with consonant stems in Present (I-type & E-type) take -i, -imo, -ite: - govoriti → govori!, govorimo!, govorite! - raditi → radi!, radimo!, radite! - pisati (pišem) → piši!, pišimo!, pišite! - učiti → uči!, učimo!, učite!*
*2. Third Person Command (Neka + Prezent): For 3rd person singular and plural ('let him / let them...'), Serbian uses the analytic particle neka + present tense: - Neka uđe! (Let him enter!), Neka oni pročitaju!* (Let them read!).
*3. Negative Imperative (Zabrana): - Formed primarily using the specialized auxiliary nemoj (sg.) / nemojte (pl./polite) followed by da + present or an infinitive: - Nemoj da brineš! (Don't worry!) - Nemojte da zaboravite! (Do not forget!). - Alternatively with imperfective verbs: Ne pričaj!* (Don't talk!).
Examples
Pažljivo pročitajte ovaj važan tekst pre nego što odgovorite na pitanja.
Carefully read this important text before you answer the questions.
Nemojte da zaboravite da ponesete svoje studentske knjižice na ispit.
Do not forget to bring your student gradebooks to the exam.
Hajde da zajedno ponovimo sva najvažnija gramatička pravila za test.
Let's review all the most important grammar rules together for the test.
Neka novi studenti slobodno postave svoja pitanja profesoru na kraju časa.
Let the new students freely ask their questions to the professor at the end of class.
Related terms
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