This is the command you give to one person you are on sinä terms with — a friend, a family member, a child, anyone you would not address formally. It is also the single easiest verb form in Finnish, because it is nothing but the verb's weak present stem with every ending stripped off: mene! (go!), puhu! (speak!), tule! (come!), syö! (eat!). No suffix, no auxiliary. This page is only about the familiar singular; the plural/polite -kaa/-kää form is on the plural/formal imperative page, and its negative on the negative imperative page.
The reliable shortcut: drop the -t from the sinä form
You almost certainly already know the sinä (you singular) present form of the verb. The imperative is that form with its final -t removed. Nothing else changes — not the stem, not the gradation.
| Verb | sinä present | Command | English |
|---|---|---|---|
| mennä | sinä menet | mene! | Go! |
| puhua | sinä puhut | puhu! | Speak! |
| tulla | sinä tulet | tule! | Come! |
| syödä | sinä syöt | syö! | Eat! |
| ottaa | sinä otat | ota! | Take! |
| antaa | sinä annat | anna! | Give! |
| lukea | sinä luet | lue! | Read! |
| tehdä | sinä teet | tee! | Do! / Make! |
Tule tänne heti!
Come here right now!
Mene jo nukkumaan, on myöhä.
Go to bed already, it's late.
Gradation: always the weak grade
For verbs with consonant gradation, the singular imperative lands on the weak grade — the same stem you see in minä otan, sinä otat. Compare a gradating verb with a non-gradating one:
| Verb | Gradation | Command |
|---|---|---|
| ottaa (take) | tt → t | ota! |
| antaa (give) | nt → nn | anna! |
| lukea (read) | k → – | lue! |
| puhua (speak) | none | puhu! |
| tulla (come) | none | tule! |
So it is ota!, never otta!; anna!, never anta!. The consonant gradation is doing exactly what it does in the present-tense sinä form, which is why the "drop the -t" shortcut works.
Ota lisää, ole hyvä!
Take some more, please! (ottaa → ota, weak grade)
Anna se minulle.
Give it to me. (antaa → anna, weak grade)
Lue tämä, se on tosi hauska.
Read this, it's really funny. (lukea → lue)
Odota tässä, tulen ihan kohta.
Wait here, I'll be right back. (odottaa → odota)
Puhu kovempaa, en kuule mitään!
Speak louder, I can't hear a thing! (puhua → puhu, no gradation)
Syö kunnolla ennen kuin lähdet.
Eat properly before you leave.
The connegative identity
Here is a satisfying structural fact: the singular command is identical to the connegative — the bare stem that follows the negative verb en/et/ei. Ota! is the same word as the ota in en ota ("I don't take"). Tule! is the tule in en tule. So if you can already form the negative present, you already know the familiar imperative — it is the very same form. More on that form on the connegative page.
En ota sokeria kahviini.
I don't take sugar in my coffee. (the connegative 'ota' = the command 'ota!')
Negating a command: älä, not ei
A singular command is not negated with ei. It uses the special negative imperative verb älä, followed by the exact same bare form: ota! → älä ota! ("don't take!"). The main verb does not change at all — only älä is added in front. The full story is on the negative imperative page.
Älä unohda avaimia!
Don't forget your keys! (unohtaa → älä unohda)
Älä huoli, kaikki järjestyy.
Don't worry, everything will work out.
Common Mistakes
❌ Mennä tänne!
Incorrect — the infinitive is not a command; the singular imperative is the bare stem.
✅ Tule tänne!
Come here!
❌ Menet nyt kotiin!
Incorrect — that's the full sinä present ('you go'); a command drops the -t.
✅ Mene nyt kotiin!
Go home now!
❌ Otta se!
Incorrect — the familiar singular takes the weak grade: tt → t.
✅ Ota se!
Take it!
❌ Ei ota sitä!
Incorrect — commands are negated with älä, not the ordinary negative ei.
✅ Älä ota sitä!
Don't take it!
Key Takeaways
- The familiar singular command = the weak present stem, no ending (mene!, puhu!, tule!, syö!).
- Reliable shortcut: take the sinä present form and drop its -t — this handles the stem and gradation for you.
- Gradating verbs land on the weak grade: ota! (not otta!), anna! (not anta!), lue!.
- The command is identical to the connegative — if you can say en ota, you already have ota!.
- Negate with älä
- the same form (älä ota!), never with ei.
Now practice Finnish
Reading grammar gets you part of the way. The exercises are where it sticks — free, no signup needed.
Start learning Finnish→Related Topics
- The Imperative: CommandsA1 — The Finnish command mood, person by person: familiar mene!, plural/polite menkää!, 'let's' mennään, third-person menköön — and how negatives use älä / älkää.
- Plural/Formal Command: menkää!A2 — The -kaa/-kää command for plural 'you' and for polite single address: menkää!, puhukaa!, ottakaa!, tulkaa!. It keeps the strong grade — ota! but ottakaa!.
- Negative Commands: älä, älkää, älköönA2 — How Finnish says 'don't!': the special negative imperative verb älä/älkää/älköön/älkäämme/älkööt plus the connegative in -ko/-kö.
- The Connegative StemA2 — After en/ei the Finnish main verb drops to the connegative — the personless present stem, identical to the singular imperative: en puhu, et ota, ei anna.