Persian Imperative Verbs: Speak Fast Lesson 17 Grammar

How to give commands in Persian: the be- prefix, plural and polite forms, negative commands, spoken forms, examples and a quiz.

The imperative in Persian: giving commands and requests

Study notes for this lesson. The Lesson 17 video teaches imperative verbs, the forms you use to tell someone to do something: "come," "look," "don't drive." At a repair shop you hear them all the time, so the examples here use the words from the New Words page.

Step 1: find the present stem

Every Persian verb has a present stem. For some verbs it is easy to see in the infinitive; for others you simply have to learn it. Here are the stems you need for this lesson.

Step 2: add be- (and -id for the plural)

The singular imperative, used with one friend or family member, is ب (be-) plus the present stem. For more than one person, or to be polite with one person, add -ید (-id). The vowel of be- changes with the sound that follows it: it often becomes bo- when the next syllable has an o sound (boro, bokhor, bokon), and bi- before a stem that starts with â (بیا biyâ).

Compound verbs

With compound verbs such as درست کردن (dorost kardan), only the verb part changes, and it normally takes no be-: درست کن (dorost kon), "fix." The imperative of شدن (shodan) is شو (sho): سوار شو (savâr sho), "get in."

Negative commands

To say "don't," replace be- with ن (na-). With compound verbs, na- goes on the verb part.

Spoken forms

In everyday Tehran speech the plural ending is often -in, and some stems are shortened: بروید becomes برید (berid), بیایید becomes بیاین (biyâin), بیاور becomes بیار (biyâr), بگذار becomes بذار (bezâr), بدهید becomes بدین (bedin). A very common polite word is بفرمایید (befarmâyid): "please, go ahead, here you are."

Examples

Common mistakes

• Keeping mi-: می‌رو is wrong; the imperative is برو (boro).
• Putting be- and na- together: نبرو is wrong; say نرو (naro).
• Adding be- to the first part of a compound verb: say درست کن (dorost kon), not "bedorost kon." You may hear درست بکن in speech, but درست کن is the standard form.
• Using the singular with a stranger, a shopkeeper or an older person. Use the plural form (بیایید, بدهید) to be polite.

• Lesson 17: New Words
• Lesson 17: Speaking
• Lesson 17: Reading

Practice

1. Make the singular imperative of {{خوردن}} (khordan).

   Show answer

   bokhor بخور

2. Make it negative: {{برو}} (boro).

   Show answer

   naro نرو

3. Say politely to a mechanic: "Change the tire."

   Show answer

   lâstik râ avaz konid. لاستیک را عوض کنید.

4. What is the spoken form of {{بیاورید}}?

   Show answer

   biyârin (or biyârid) بیارین

5. Correct the mistake: {{می‌بیا}}

   Show answer

   biyâ بیا

Continue with the rest of the free course: Learn to Speak Persian Fast.