Questions & Answers about Sluit de deur en wacht hier.
How do you form the command verbs sluit and wacht?
To make a command (the imperative) in Dutch, you generally just use the stem of the verb, which is exactly the same as the ik (I) form. For the verb sluiten (to close), the stem is sluit. For wachten (to wait), it is wacht.
Why isn't there a word for "you" in this sentence?
Just like in English, when you give a direct command, you drop the subject (the word for "you"). Instead of saying "You close the door," you just say "Close the door." That is why Dutch words like jij or jullie are completely left out.
Why do sluit and wacht both come at the start of their phrases?
In Dutch command sentences, the verb is always placed at the very first position. The word en (and) acts as a bridge joining two separate commands, which is why wacht also takes the first position of its own part of the sentence.
Can I use this exact sentence to command a group of people?
Yes! In modern Dutch, the standard command form is exactly the same whether you are speaking to one person or to a whole group. Sluit de deur works for telling one friend or an entire class of students to close the door.