Feminine Commands
When giving a direct command to a single female listener, you will use the feminine singular imperative. Similar to what you learned about the subjunctive mood, the feminine imperative drops the final ن from the standard present tense ending, leaving the long vowel ي attached to the end of the verb.
| Lift the heavy weight, my friend (f)! | ارفعي الوزن الثقيل يا صديقتي.irfa'i al-wazna ath-thaqila ya sadiqati |
| Breathe now, my colleague (f), the body is tired. | تنفسي الآن يا زميلتي، الجسم متعب.tanaffasi al-âna yâ zamilati, al-jismu mutaabun. |
Plural Commands
When addressing a group of three or more people (masculine or mixed gender), the plural imperative is used. Just like the plural subjunctive, you drop the final ن from the standard present tense ending ون and replace it with a silent ا, resulting in the suffix وا.
| Jump on the rope, team! | اقفزوا على الحبل يا فريق.iqfizû 'alâ al-habli yâ farîqu |
| Rest for a minute, men. | استريحوا دقيقة يا رجال.istarîhû daqîqatan yâ rijâl |
Dual Commands
When giving an order to exactly two people, regardless of their gender, you use the dual form of the imperative. To form this, drop the ن from the present tense dual suffix ان, leaving only the long vowel ا at the end of the verb.
| You two boys, lift the weight together. | يا ولدان، ارفعا الوزن معا.yâ waladâni, irfa'â l-wazna ma'an. |
| You two girls, jump on the rope, the effort is excellent for the muscle. | يا بنتان، اقفزا على الحبل، الجهد ممتاز للعضلة.yâ bintâni, iqfizâ alâ al-habli, al-juhdu mumtâzun lil-adalati |
