आज्ञार्थ
Imperative forms: तू (bare stem), तुम (-ओ), आप (-इए) commands
Can give commands and make requests at appropriate politeness levels
Look at these examples. Can you spot the grammar pattern?
यहाँ आओ।
Come here. (informal)
कृपया बैठिए।
Please sit down. (formal)
चुप कर!
Be quiet! (intimate/rude)
मुझे पानी दीजिए।
Please give me water. (formal)
Pay attention to the highlighted parts. What do they have in common?
आज्ञार्थ — Imperative
Hindi has three imperative levels matching the three 'you' forms:
| Level | Formation | करना (do) | जाना (go) |
|---|---|---|---|
| तू (intimate) | bare stem | कर | जा |
| तुम (informal) | stem + ओ | करो | जाओ |
| आप (formal) | stem + इए | करिए / कीजिए | जाइए |
Politeness: तू forms are intimate/rude (used with children, close friends, God). तुम forms are standard informal. आप forms are polite/formal. Adding कृपया (please) increases politeness: कृपया बैठिए.
Irregular: देना→दो/दीजिए, लेना→लो/लीजिए, पीना→पियो/पीजिए.
Common Error Patterns
Using wrong imperative level for the social context
तू (intimate/rude), तुम (informal standard), आप (formal polite). When in doubt, use आप+कृपया
Wrong imperative ending
तू = bare stem (कर), तुम = stem+ओ (करो), आप = stem+इए (करिए/कीजिए)
यहाँ आओ।
Come here. (informal)
आओ = तुम imperative of आना (come). Standard informal.
कृपया बैठिए।
Please sit down. (formal)
बैठिए = आप imperative of बैठना (sit). कृपया adds politeness.
चुप कर!
Be quiet! (intimate/rude)
कर = तू imperative of करना (do). Bare stem — very direct/rude.
मुझे पानी दीजिए।
Please give me water. (formal)
दीजिए = आप imperative of देना (give). Irregular form (not देइए).
Practice in course
Apply this grammar in A1 course exercises