Formal commands (Lei)
When you need to give instructions or commands in a professional setting—like at city hall, at a bank, or when speaking to someone you address as Lei (formal "you")—you must use the formal imperative.
To form a formal command, take the stem of the verb and add the formal imperative ending. Notice that these endings are "swapped" compared to the regular present tense:
| Verb ending | Lei command ending | Example |
|---|---|---|
| -are | -i | presentare -> presenti |
| -ere / -ire | -a | attendere -> attenda |
| Submit this certificate to the director. | Presenti questo certificato al direttore. |
| Madam, wait at the second counter. | Signora, attenda al secondo sportello. |
| Sign and put the stamp here. | Firmi e metta il timbro qui. |
Spelling changes for -care and -gare verbs
Just like in the regular present tense, verbs that end in -care and -gare (like pagare or allegare) need an h before the -i ending to maintain their hard sound.
| Pay the fee for the permit, please. | Paghi la tassa per il permesso, per favore. |
| Attach a photocopy of the document. | Alleghi una fotocopia del documento. |
Negative formal commands
Unlike informal commands (which use non + infinitive), making a formal command negative is completely straightforward: just place non immediately before the conjugated formal command.
| Do not submit the photocopy, I want the original document. | Non presenti la fotocopia, voglio il documento originale. |
Plural formal commands (Loro)
If you are addressing a group of people formally (Loro), you use the plural formal imperative. To form it, simply add -no to the Lei command form.
| Verb ending | Loro command ending | Example |
|---|---|---|
| -are | -ino | presentare -> presentino |
| -ere / -ire | -ano | attendere -> attendano |
| Ladies and gentlemen, submit the permit at the entrance. | Signore e signori, presentino il permesso all'ingresso. |
| Wait for the signature here, gentlemen. | Attendano la firma qui, signori. |
| Gentlemen, pay the fee at the counter. | Signori, paghino la tassa allo sportello. |
