Directing a Group
When giving a direct command or instruction to more than one person, use the plural imperative form.
To create a plural command, drop the final -a (or -ja) from the infinitive and add -ið. For example, stoppa becomes stoppið.
| Stop now! | Stoppið núna! |
For phrasal verbs like halda áfram (to keep going), only the first word gets the ending.
| Keep going! | Haldið áfram! |
Classroom and Group Instructions
You will often hear these plural commands in classrooms or group activities.
| Fetch the assignment! | Sækið verkefnið! |
Commands frequently pair with prepositions like á (to/at/on). Notice how both verbs take the -ið ending when connected by og (and):
| Listen to the teacher and look at the board! | Hlustið á kennarann og horfið á töfluna! |
Commands with the Dative Case
Some instruction verbs, like skila (to hand in) and fylgja (to follow), require their objects to be in the dative case. Notice how verkefnið changes to its dative form, verkefninu:
| Hand in the assignment today! | Skilið verkefninu í dag! |
Similarly, telling a group to follow "us" requires the dative pronoun okkur:
| Follow us into the house! | Fylgið okkur í húsið! |
Chaining Instructions
Once you know a few common classroom words, you can easily string together multiple commands.
| Read the text on the page! | Lesið textann á síðunni! |
| Write the text and read the conversation! | Skrifið textann og lesið samtalið! |