Making Requests with the Imperative
In this lesson of Learn Swedish, you'll learn how to use the imperative form of Swedish verbs. The imperative is used to make requests, give instructions, and give commands.
You'll also learn some more common Swedish verbs.
Flashcards and a quiz are included to help you learn how to use the imperative.
How to Create the Imperative
The imperative form of verbs is used to make requests, give instructions, and give commands or warnings. With the imperative, the request or command is implied to be directed at the listener, so the sentence doesn't have a subject noun or pronoun. The imperative is formed in one of three ways:
1) For verbs that end in ar in the present tense, the imperative of the verb is formed by dropping the r. The following table shows some examples.
| Tala. | Speak. |
| Kalla. | Call. |
| Lyssna. | Listen. |
For verbs that end in er in the present tense, the imperative is formed by removing the er.
| Hjälp! | Help! |
| Kom! | Come! |
| Läs. | Read. |
There are a few verbs that don't end in either ar or er. The following table shows their imperative form.
| Gå. | Go. |
| Var. | Be. |
| Gör. | Do. |
| Se. | See. |
| Bli. | Become. |
To tell someone not to do something, add inte after the verb.
Examples
Here are some more examples of the imperative.
| Tala långsammare. | Speak slower. |
| Sätt dig vid bordet! | Sit down at the table. (Seat yourself at the table!) |
| Kom hit! | Come here! |
| Kom in. | Come in. |
| Var tyst! | Be quiet! |
| Häll i mjölken. | Pour in the milk. |
| Kom och hjälp mig. | Come and help me. |
| Akta dig! | Watch out! |
| Var försiktig! | Be careful! |
| Se upp! | Look out! |
| Oroa dig inte. | Don't worry. |
| Don't start yet. | Börja inte ännu. |
| Don't lose your keys. | Förlora inte dina nycklar. |
| Stäng dörren snälla. | Close the door please. |
| Skriv ditt namn här. | Write your name here. |
| Gör ditt bästa! | Do your best! |
| Tänk innan du pratar! | Think before you speak! |
| Spring så fort du kan. | Run as fast as you can. |
| Lie down. | lägga sig ner. |
Advertisement
More Swedish Verbs
Here is a list of some common Swedish verbs in the infinitive form. The imperative form is shown in parentheses if it is different. You can use the flashcards below to help you learn these and the other verbs included in the lesson.
| besluta | decide |
| börja | start, begin |
| flytta | move |
| fråga | ask |
| fråga efter | ask for |
| fånga | catch |
| förlora | lose |
| förändra | change |
| glöda (glöd) | glow |
| lyssna | listen |
| lyfta (lyft) | lift |
| springa (spring) | run |
Swedish Conversations
Read and listen to the following conversation that Maya and Anna have while they are looking for new TVs.
Swedish
Maja och Anna är i en butik och tittar på nya tv-apparater.
Maja: Det är en fin tv.
Anna: Det finns till rea för endast 250 euro.
Maja: Det är jättebra!
Anna: Titta på hur stor den där tv:n är.
Maja: Jag slår vad om att det är väldigt dyrt.
Anna: Ja, och min lägenhet är för liten ändå.
Maja: Låt oss kolla in några andra butiker.
English
Maja and Anna are in a store looking at new televisions.
Maja: That's a nice TV.
Anna: It's on sale for only 250 euros.
Maja: That's a great deal!
Anna: Look at how big that TV is.
Maja:I bet it's very expensive.
Anna: Yeah, and my apartment is too small anyway.
Maja: Let's check out some other stores.
Flashcards
Here are some flashcards to help you learn the imperative form of Swedish verbs.
Quiz
Here is a quiz with 15 questions to help you learn the imperative of Swedish verbs.