Esperanto forms direct commands with the volitive ending -u: Atendu!, Eniru!, Ne tuŝu! The ending presents the action as wanted rather than as a fact or prediction. A direct command usually has understood subject vi, but the same invariant form can direct a named person, a third party, or a general oni.
All core command patterns are neutral standard Esperanto. Labels such as (formal) or (informal) describe the social setting, not different conjugations.
Building a direct command
Replace infinitive -i with -u: atendi → atendu, fermi → fermu, esti → estu. There are no irregular commands.
Atendu momenton; mi serĉas la ĝustan ŝlosilon.
Wait a moment; I'm looking for the right key.
Fermu la fenestron antaŭ ol vi foriros.
Close the window before you leave.
The direct object keeps accusative -n: la fenestron. Other complements retain their ordinary prepositions: telefonu al mi, parolu pri la problemo, venu kun ni. Mood changes the speaker's stance, not the verb's argument structure.
Telefonu al mi kiam vi alvenos al la hotelo.
Call me when you arrive at the hotel.
The understood subject vi
In a command addressed directly to the listener, vi is normally omitted. Because vi can address one or more people, Venu! means either “Come!” or “Come, all of you!” according to context.
Eniru, demetu vian mantelon kaj sidu apud la fajro.
Come in, take off your coat, and sit by the fire.
Several coordinated commands share the same understood addressee. Repeating vi would sound contrastive, not more grammatical.
Express vi when separating the listener's task from someone else's:
Vi kontrolu la biletojn; Marta montru al la gastoj iliajn ĉambrojn.
You check the tickets; let Marta show the guests their rooms.
The invariant kontrolu/montru does not reveal person. The explicit subjects create the contrast.
A vocative names the addressee but remains outside the clause's grammatical roles:
Leo, bonvolu porti ĉi tiujn skatolojn supren.
Leo, please carry these boxes upstairs.
Leo needs no case ending as direct address; ĉi tiujn skatolojn is the accusative object.
Negative commands and warnings
Place ne immediately before the volitive verb to prohibit or warn against an action.
Ne malfermu la pordon al nekonatoj.
Don't open the door to strangers.
Ne forgesu konservi la dokumenton antaŭ ol vi fermos la programon.
Don't forget to save the document before you close the program.
The infinitive after forgesu remains konservi. Do not give every verb in a chain the -u ending unless each is a separate coordinated command: Konservu la dokumenton kaj fermu la programon.
Warnings often use Atentu or Gardu vin followed by a subordinate volitive:
Atentu, ke vi ne glitu sur la malseka planko.
Be careful not to slip on the wet floor.
The first atentu directly commands attention; ne glitu names the unwanted result to prevent.
Instructions, signs, and procedures
The volitive is natural in recipes, software instructions, safety notices, and step-by-step directions. This use is directive without necessarily sounding personal.
Aldonu la tomatojn, miksu bone kaj kuiru dum dek minutoj.
Add the tomatoes, mix well, and cook for ten minutes.
Ne fumu en ĉi tiu konstruaĵo.
Do not smoke in this building.
Premu la verdan butonon por konfirmi la pagon.
Press the green button to confirm the payment.
In public rules, oni + -u can state a general directive when no particular addressee is singled out:
Oni ne eniru sen permeso.
No one should enter without permission.
This is more impersonal and can sound (formal). A sign more commonly uses concise Ne eniru sen permeso.
Strength and politeness come from the whole utterance
Bare -u is not inherently rude. Sidu, mi petas can be warmly inviting, while a shouted Sidu! can be an order. Add bonvolu + infinitive, mi petas, a reason, or a conditional request to adjust the social force.
| Form | Typical force |
|---|---|
| Fermu la pordon. | direct instruction |
| Fermu la pordon, mi petas. | direct request with explicit courtesy |
| Bonvolu fermi la pordon. | standard polite directive |
| Ĉu vi povus fermi la pordon? | indirect, deferential request |
Bonvolu atendi ĉi tie, ĉar la kuracisto ankoraŭ estas kun alia paciento.
Please wait here because the doctor is still with another patient.
After bonvolu, the requested action is infinitive atendi. Bonvolu atendu incorrectly doubles the volitive.
Urgency can justify directness:
Haltu! Ne transiru la straton nun!
Stop! Don't cross the street now!
In an emergency, extra conditional politeness would weaken clarity rather than improve it.
Commands to third persons
An overt third-person subject plus -u expresses the speaker's directive about someone not directly encoded as vi.
La infanoj atendu en la aŭto ĝis ni revenos.
Let the children wait in the car until we return.
Li ne venu morgaŭ; la oficejo estos fermita.
He should not come tomorrow; the office will be closed.
English may use let, should, or an imperative paraphrase. Esperanto directly combines the subject with invariant -u. Context distinguishes permission (“let him”) from instruction (“he is to”).
Oni + -u can also express a general instruction or recommendation:
Oni konservu la medikamenton ekster la atingo de infanoj.
The medicine should be kept out of children's reach.
This form is common in (formal) instructions. A passive can be used too, but it is not required.
Command, prediction, or hypothetical?
The ending distinguishes the speaker's stance even when the time is the same.
Vi fermos la butikon je la sesa.
You will close the shop at six.
Fermu la butikon je la sesa.
Close the shop at six.
Vi fermus la butikon je la sesa, se ne venus klientoj.
You would close the shop at six if no customers came.
-Os predicts, -u directs, and -us imagines. The command may concern the future, but -u is not a future tense.
Reporting a command
When a command becomes subordinate, its volitive force remains:
La estro diris, ke ni fermu la butikon je la sesa.
The manager told us to close the shop at six.
Compare La estro diris, ke ni fermos..., which reports a statement that we will close. The main verb diris does not push the subordinate volitive into a past tense.
The same meaning contrast governs requests, purposes, and desired outcomes; see the volitive in subordinate clauses.
Common Mistakes
Using the infinitive as a spoken command
❌ Fermi la fenestron!
Incorrect as an ordinary direct command — use finite -u.
✅ Fermu la fenestron!
Close the window!
Adding plural -j to the command
❌ Infanoj, venuj ĉi tien.
Incorrect — -u is invariant even with a plural addressee.
✅ Infanoj, venu ĉi tien.
Children, come here.
Forgetting object marking
❌ Prenu via pluvombrelo.
Incorrect — the expressed direct object requires agreement and -n.
✅ Prenu vian pluvombrelon.
Take your umbrella.
Doubling -u after bonvolu
❌ Bonvolu sidu ĉi tie.
Incorrect — bonvolu takes an infinitive complement.
✅ Bonvolu sidi ĉi tie.
Please sit here.
Using -US for a direct instruction
❌ Vi atendus ĉi tie!
Incorrect as a direct instruction — atendus implies a condition.
✅ Atendu ĉi tie!
Wait here!
Key Takeaways
- Direct commands use invariant -u and normally omit understood vi.
- Put ne before the volitive for prohibitions and warnings.
- Objects, agreement, and prepositional complements remain exactly as the verb requires.
- Bonvolu + infinitive and ĉu vi povus + infinitive soften a direct command in different ways.
- Overt subjects with -u allow third-person and general directives; -os predicts and -us imagines instead.
Related Topics
- The Volitive in -UB1 — Learn how invariant -u expresses commands, requests, wishes, proposals, purposes, and desired actions in subordinate clauses.
- Polite Requests with -USA1 — Learn how povus, bonvolus, volus, and impersonal -us forms create polite distance in Esperanto requests and service encounters.
- The Volitive in Subordinate ClausesA2 — Learn when Esperanto uses -u in ke- and por ke-clauses to express a request, purpose, intended result, or other desired action.
- Wishes and ExhortationsA2 — Use Esperanto -u for inclusive let's-exhortations, personal resolutions, third-person wishes, blessings, and hoped-for outcomes.
- Making Direct RequestsA2 — Form clear Esperanto requests with the volitive, bonvolu plus infinitive, explicit request clauses, and context-appropriate directness.
- Clause Negation with NeA1 — How to negate an Esperanto clause by placing ne before its finite verb, including commands, questions, and common scope contrasts.