Impersonal commands (Infinitive / Partizip II)

Navigating the subway in a German-speaking city means following a few strict rules. To keep crowds moving safely, announcements and signs use special types of commands. Let's look at how to give general instructions and abrupt orders without addressing anyone in particular.

General Rules: The Infinitive Command

For public signs, written instructions, and polite but firm announcements, German uses impersonal commands. Instead of conjugating a verb to tell a specific person what to do, the sentence simply ends with the verb in its raw infinitive form.

This construction is often paired with bitte (please) or nicht (not), and the action word is always pushed to the very end of the sentence.

These infinitive commands work just like standard sentences when you need to string multiple instructions together or add extra clauses.

Abrupt Orders: The Past Participle Command

When a situation requires an immediate, sharp, and forceful command—often spoken in the moment rather than written down—German uses the Past Participle (Partizip II).

Using the past participle (the form usually starting with ge-) sounds like an absolute order with zero room for debate. It gives the feeling that the action is so urgent, it should already be done.