Attaching pronouns to commands
When you tell someone to perform an action on themselves—like stopping or getting up—you'll use a reflexive verb. For affirmative commands given to a person you address as tu (informal "you"), the reflexive pronoun ti attaches directly to the end of the imperative verb to form a single word.
| Infinitive | Imperative (tu) | Pronoun | Combined Command |
|---|---|---|---|
| fermarsi | ferma | ti | fermati |
| alzarsi | alza | ti | alzati |
| Stop here, there is a problem! | Fermati qui, c'è un problema! |
| Get up immediately, the train has arrived! | Alzati immediatamente, il treno è arrivato! |
Directing movement
You will use this pattern frequently to direct someone's movement. Verbs like avvicinarsi (to approach) and allontanarsi (to move away) follow the exact same rule.
| Come closer to the table, please. | Avvicinati al tavolo, per favore. |
| Move away from the glass! | Allontanati dal vetro! |
Urgent commands
If you need someone to react quickly, you can use these commands for actions like spostarsi (to move out of the way), nascondersi (to hide), and sdraiarsi (to lie down).
| Move out of the way, the director has arrived! | Spostati, è arrivato il direttore! |
| Hide behind the wall, quickly! | Nasconditi dietro il muro, presto! |
| Lie down on the floor immediately! | Sdraiati sul pavimento immediatamente! |
Addressing a group
When giving a reflexive command to multiple people, use the voi (plural "you") form of the verb. Instead of ti, you will attach the plural pronoun vi to the end of the word. For example, allontanate + vi becomes allontanatevi.
| Move away and lie down on the ground! | Allontanatevi e sdraiatevi al suolo! |
