The Imperative: Giving Commands | Greek Grammar

When you tell someone directly to do something — Γράψε! (Write!), Έλα! (Come!), Πρόσεχε! (Be careful!) — you are using the imperative. Greek's imperative looks simple on the surface, but it hides three features that trip up English speakers: it forces you to choose an aspect (do it once vs. keep doing it), it attaches object pronouns to the end of the verb, and it has no negative form at all — "don't" is built with a completely different structure. This page is the map; each feature has its own detailed page linked below.

Two persons: singular and plural

The Greek imperative exists only in the second person — the person you are talking to. There is a singular (one person you address as εσύ) and a plural (several people, εσείς). Crucially, that plural form doubles as the polite singular: you use it for one person you are addressing formally, exactly as εσείς serves as the polite "you."

Verb	2sg (εσύ)	2pl / polite (εσείς)
γράφω (write)	γράψε	γράψτε
λέω (say)	πες	πείτε
έρχομαι (come)	έλα	ελάτε

Γράψε μου όταν φτάσεις σπίτι.

ghrápse mu ótan ftásis spíti

Text me when you get home.

Παιδιά, γράψτε το όνομά σας εδώ πάνω.

pedhiá, ghrápste to ónomá sas edhó páno

Kids, write your name up here.

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The plural imperative is also the courteous way to command one person. To a friend you say Έλα!; to a stranger, an elder, or a customer you say Ελάτε! — same verb, more respect. Getting this wrong sounds either overfamiliar or stiff, so it is worth internalising early.

The aspect choice: γράψε vs γράφε

This is the feature with no English parallel. Every Greek command comes in two flavours built on two different stems, and you must pick one:

Perfective imperative — built on the perfective (aorist) stem. It means do it once, complete the action now: Γράψε το γράμμα. (Write the letter.)
Imperfective imperative — built on the present stem. It means keep doing it, do it habitually, do it as a general rule: Γράφε καθαρά. (Write neatly — always.)

Γράψε τον αριθμό μου πριν τον ξεχάσεις.

ghrápse ton arithmó mu prin ton ksechásis

Write down my number before you forget it.

Πρόσεχε πάντα όταν περνάς τον δρόμο.

próseche pánda ótan pernás ton dhrómo

Always be careful when you cross the street.

The first is a single act — write it, done. The second is a standing instruction — a way to behave, not a one-off. Warnings, "carry on" commands, and general life advice land on the imperfective; a specific, finish-it request lands on the perfective. The full logic of choosing lives on Aspect in the Imperative, and the two forms get their own workshops:

Perfective Imperative — γράψε / γράψτε, the everyday "do it now" command.
Imperfective Imperative — γράφε / γράφετε, the "keep doing it" command.

Reflexive and passive verbs: the mediopassive imperative

Verbs that end in -ομαι / -άμαι (mediopassive verbs — reflexives, verbs of feeling and motion) build their imperative differently, with the endings -ου (singular) and -είτε (plural):

Ντύσου γρήγορα, θα αργήσουμε!

dísu ghríghora, tha aryísume

Get dressed quickly, we'll be late!

Καθίστε, παρακαλώ, σε λίγο θα σας δεχτεί.

kathíste, parakaló, se lígho tha sas dhechtí

Please have a seat, he'll see you shortly.

Many of these are high-frequency and slightly irregular (κάτσε, σήκω, έλα), so they get a dedicated page: Mediopassive Imperative.

Object pronouns go AFTER the command

In a plain statement, weak object pronouns come before the verb: Μου το δίνει (He gives it to me). But after a positive imperative they flip to the end and lean on it:

Δώσε μου το αλάτι, σε παρακαλώ.

dhóse mu to aláti, se parakaló

Pass me the salt, please.

Πες μου την αλήθεια — τι έγινε;

pes mu tin alíthia — ti éyine;

Tell me the truth — what happened?

The verb and its pronouns form a single stress unit, which can force a second accent (Δώσε μου το → often written Δώσε μου το) and even contraction (Γράψε το → Γράψ' το). All of that — the placement, the accent, the double-clitic order — is on Clitics With the Imperative.

There is no negative imperative

Here is the rule that surprises everyone: you cannot negate the imperative form. You cannot say ×μη γράψε or ×μη έλα. Greek has no negative command verb at all. Instead, "don't" is expressed with the particle μη(ν) plus the subjunctive (the plain present or aorist form):

Μην ανησυχείς, θα προλάβουμε το τρένο.

min anisichís, tha prolávume to tréno

Don't worry, we'll make the train.

Μη μου το λες αυτό, δεν το πιστεύω.

mi mu to les aftó, dhen to pistévo

Don't tell me that, I don't believe it.

Two things flip in the negative: the aspect distinction survives (Μη γράφεις vs Μη γράψεις), and the pronouns move back in front of the verb (Μη μου το λες, not ×μη λες μου το). The whole prohibition system is on Negative Commands: μη(ν) + Subjunctive.

The high-frequency irregulars

A handful of the commonest commands have short, unpredictable forms you simply memorise. They are worth learning as vocabulary from day one:

Verb	2sg	2pl	Meaning
λέω	πες	πείτε	say / tell
βλέπω	δες	δείτε	look / see
έρχομαι	έλα	ελάτε	come
τρώω	φάε	φάτε	eat
πίνω	πιες	πιείτε	drink

Έλα να φάμε, το φαγητό κρυώνει.

éla na fáme, to fayitó krióni

Come and eat, the food's getting cold.

Δες ποιος χτυπάει την πόρτα.

dhes pios chtipái tin pórta

See who's knocking at the door.

The full set — including ανέβα (go up), κατέβα (go down), βρες (find), μπες (get in) — is on Irregular Imperatives.

"Let's...": first-person commands

The imperative has no first-person form, so "let's go / let me see" is built with the particles ας or να plus a first-person verb:

Ας πάμε για έναν καφέ, έχω κουραστεί.

as páme ya énan kafé, écho kurastí

Let's go for a coffee, I'm worn out.

This construction is covered on First-Person Commands With ας / να.

Common Mistakes

1. Negating the imperative directly. English "don't" plus a command tempts you into ×μη + imperative. There is no such form.

❌ Μην πες τίποτα σε κανέναν.

Incorrect — πες is the imperative and cannot be negated; use the subjunctive: Μην πεις.

✅ Μην πεις τίποτα σε κανέναν.

min pis típota se kanénan

Don't say anything to anyone.

2. Putting the object pronoun before a positive command. After a positive imperative the pronoun goes after the verb.

❌ Μου δώσε το τηλέφωνό σου.

Incorrect — after a positive imperative the clitic follows: Δώσε μου.

✅ Δώσε μου το τηλέφωνό σου να σε πάρω.

dhóse mu to tiléfonó su na se páro

Give me your number so I can call you.

3. Using the singular command for a formal or plural addressee. To a stranger or a group, use the plural/polite form.

❌ Κύριε, πες μου την ώρα.

Incorrect — to someone you address formally, use the plural: πείτε μου.

✅ Κύριε, πείτε μου την ώρα, παρακαλώ.

kírie, píte mu tin óra, parakaló

Sir, tell me the time, please.

4. Ignoring the aspect and defaulting to one form. A general warning is imperfective, not perfective.

❌ Πρόσεξε πάντα τα σκαλιά.

Incorrect for a standing warning — πάντα (always) calls for the imperfective: Πρόσεχε.

✅ Πρόσεχε πάντα τα σκαλιά.

próseche pánda ta skaliá

Always watch the steps.

Key Takeaways

The imperative is 2nd person only, singular (εσύ) and plural; the plural doubles as the polite singular.
Every command chooses an aspect: perfective γράψε (do it once) vs imperfective γράφε (keep doing it).
Mediopassive verbs take -ου / -είτε (ντύσου / ντυθείτε), with several irregular high-frequency forms.
Object pronouns attach after a positive command (Δώσε μου το) but move before the verb in the negative.
There is no negative imperative: prohibitions use μη(ν) + subjunctive (Μην το κάνεις).
"Let's" is not an imperative — it uses ας / να with a first-person verb.

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