Italian conjugation explanation

Affirmative vs. negative commands

<p>In Italian, <span style="font-style: italic;">tu</span> commands are formed differently depending on whether we're giving an affirmative or negative command:</p>

<ul>

<li><strong>negative <span style="font-style: italic;">tu</span> commands</strong> are the same as the <strong>infinitive</strong> for all verbs (parlare &#8594; non parlare!);</li>

<li>regular <strong>affirmative <span style="font-style: italic;">tu</span> commands</strong> are formed by <strong>replacing the verb ending -are with -a</strong> (parl<strong style="text-decoration: underline;">are</strong> &#8594; parl<strong style="text-decoration: underline;">a</strong>!), and <strong>-ere/-ire with -i</strong> (mett<strong style="text-decoration: underline;">ere</strong> &#8594; mett<strong style="text-decoration: underline;">i</strong>!, sent<strong style="text-decoration: underline;">ire</strong> &#8594; sent<strong style="text-decoration: underline;">i</strong>!);</li>

<li><span style="font-style: italic;">Lei</span> (formal singular you), <span style="font-style: italic;">noi, voi</span> and <span style="font-style: italic;">Loro</span> (formal plural you; rare) conjugations are the same for affirmative and negative commands.</li>

</ul>

<p>Let's compare the affirmative and negative conjugations of the imperative for the regular verb <span style="font-style: italic;">parlare</span> (to speak, to talk):</p>

<div class="study_conjugations_tense_container">

<a class="study_conjugations_tense_label box_label" href="/study/tenseGuideForTense/44/" target="_blank" title="Open tense guide">Imperativo</a>

<div class="study_conjugations_conjugation conjugations_table two_columns">

<div class="study_conjugations_forms conjugation_forms">

<div class="conjugation_form">

<span class="study_conjugations_pronoun conjugation_pronoun">---</span>

</div>

</div>

<div class="study_conjugations_forms conjugation_forms highlighted_conjugation">

<div class="conjugation_form">

<span><span class="study_conjugations_pronoun conjugation_pronoun">

(tu)

</span>parla

</span>

</div>

</div>

<div class="study_conjugations_forms conjugation_forms">

<div class="conjugation_form">

<span><span class="study_conjugations_pronoun conjugation_pronoun">

(Lei)

</span>parli

</span>

</div>

</div>

<div class="study_conjugations_forms conjugation_forms">

<div class="conjugation_form">

<span><span class="study_conjugations_pronoun conjugation_pronoun">

(noi)

</span>parliamo

</span>

</div>

</div>

<div class="study_conjugations_forms conjugation_forms">

<div class="conjugation_form">

<span><span class="study_conjugations_pronoun conjugation_pronoun">

(voi)

</span>parlate

</span>

</div>

</div>

<div class="study_conjugations_forms conjugation_forms">

<div class="conjugation_form">

<span><span class="study_conjugations_pronoun conjugation_pronoun">

(Loro)

</span>parlino

</span>

</div>

</div>

</div>

</div>

<div class="study_conjugations_tense_container">

<a class="study_conjugations_tense_label box_label" href="/study/tenseGuideForTense/143/" target="_blank" title="Open tense guide">Imperativo negativo</a>

<div class="study_conjugations_conjugation conjugations_table two_columns">

<div class="study_conjugations_forms conjugation_forms">

<div class="conjugation_form">

<span class="study_conjugations_pronoun conjugation_pronoun">---</span>

</div>

</div>

<div class="study_conjugations_forms conjugation_forms highlighted_conjugation">

<div class="conjugation_form">

<span><span class="study_conjugations_pronoun conjugation_pronoun">

(tu) non

</span>parlare

</span>

</div>

</div>

<div class="study_conjugations_forms conjugation_forms">

<div class="conjugation_form">

<span><span class="study_conjugations_pronoun conjugation_pronoun">

(Lei) non

</span>parli

</span>

</div>

</div>

<div class="study_conjugations_forms conjugation_forms">

<div class="conjugation_form">

<span><span class="study_conjugations_pronoun conjugation_pronoun">

(noi) non

</span>parliamo

</span>

</div>

</div>

<div class="study_conjugations_forms conjugation_forms">

<div class="conjugation_form">

<span><span class="study_conjugations_pronoun conjugation_pronoun">

(voi) non

</span>parlate

</span>

</div>

</div>

<div class="study_conjugations_forms conjugation_forms">

<div class="conjugation_form">

<span><span class="study_conjugations_pronoun conjugation_pronoun">

(Loro) non

</span>parlino

</span>

</div>

</div>

</div>

</div>

<div class="conjugation_explanation_example_sentence"><strong>Parla</strong> ai tuoi genitori dei tuoi voti a scuola. (<span style="font-style: italic;">Talk to your parents about your grades in school.</span>)</div>

<div class="conjugation_explanation_example_sentence"><strong>Non parlare</strong> ai tuoi genitori dei tuoi voti a scuola. (<span style="font-style: italic;">Don't talk to your parents about your grades in school.</span>)</div>

<div class="conjugation_explanation_title">Reflexive verbs</div>

<p>In the case of <strong>formal commands</strong> (<span style="font-style: italic;">Lei</span> and <span style="font-style: italic;">Loro</span>), the reflexive pronoun can only come <strong>before the verb for formal commands</strong> for both affirmative and and negative commands (lavarsi &#8594; (Lei) Si lavi! Non si lavi!).</p>

<p>In the case of <strong>informal commands</strong> (<span style="font-style: italic;">tu</span>, <span style="font-style: italic;">noi</span> and <span style="font-style: italic;">voi</span>):

<ul>

<li>for <strong>affirmative</strong> commands, the reflexive pronoun must be <strong>added at the end</strong> of the verb form. (lavarsi &#8594; (noi) Laviamoci!)</li>

<li>for <strong>negative</strong> commands, the reflexive pronoun can either come <strong>before or after the verb</strong>; in the former case, the two words are separated, while in the latter, the are merged into a single word (lavarsi &#8594; (noi) Non laviamoci! / Non ci laviamo!).</li>

</ul>

<p>Let's compare the affirmative and negative commands of the verb <span style="font-style: italic;">lavarsi</span> (to wash oneself):</p>

<div class="study_conjugations_tense_container">

<a class="study_conjugations_tense_label box_label" href="/study/tenseGuideForTense/44/" target="_blank" title="Open tense guide">Imperativo</a>

<div class="study_conjugations_conjugation conjugations_table two_columns">

<div class="study_conjugations_forms conjugation_forms">

<div class="conjugation_form">

<span class="study_conjugations_pronoun conjugation_pronoun">---</span>

</div>

</div>

<div class="study_conjugations_forms conjugation_forms highlighted_conjugation">

<div class="conjugation_form">

<span><span class="study_conjugations_pronoun conjugation_pronoun">

(tu)

</span>lavati

</span>

</div>

</div>

<div class="study_conjugations_forms conjugation_forms">

<div class="conjugation_form">

<span><span class="study_conjugations_pronoun conjugation_pronoun">

(Lei)

</span>si lavi

</span>

</div>

</div>

<div class="study_conjugations_forms conjugation_forms highlighted_conjugation">

<div class="conjugation_form">

<span><span class="study_conjugations_pronoun conjugation_pronoun">

(noi)

</span>laviamoci

</span>

</div>

</div>

<div class="study_conjugations_forms conjugation_forms highlighted_conjugation">

<div class="conjugation_form">

<span><span class="study_conjugations_pronoun conjugation_pronoun">

(voi)

</span>lavatevi

</span>

</div>

</div>

<div class="study_conjugations_forms conjugation_forms">

<div class="conjugation_form">

<span><span class="study_conjugations_pronoun conjugation_pronoun">

(Loro)

</span>si lavino

</span>

</div>

</div>

</div>

</div>

<div class="study_conjugations_tense_container">

<a class="study_conjugations_tense_label box_label" href="/study/tenseGuideForTense/143/" target="_blank" title="Open tense guide">Imperativo negativo</a>

<div class="study_conjugations_conjugation conjugations_table two_columns">

<div class="study_conjugations_forms conjugation_forms">

<div class="conjugation_form">

<span class="study_conjugations_pronoun conjugation_pronoun">---</span>

</div>

</div>

<div class="study_conjugations_forms conjugation_forms highlighted_conjugation">

<div class="conjugation_form">

<span><span class="study_conjugations_pronoun conjugation_pronoun">

(tu) non

</span>lavarti

</span>

</div>

<div class="conjugation_form">

<span><span class="study_conjugations_pronoun conjugation_pronoun">

(tu) non

</span>ti lavare

</span>

</div>

</div>

<div class="study_conjugations_forms conjugation_forms">

<div class="conjugation_form">

<span><span class="study_conjugations_pronoun conjugation_pronoun">

(Lei) non

</span>si lavi

</span>

</div>

</div>

<div class="study_conjugations_forms conjugation_forms highlighted_conjugation">

<div class="conjugation_form">

<span><span class="study_conjugations_pronoun conjugation_pronoun">

(noi) non

</span>laviamoci

</span>

</div>

<div class="conjugation_form">

<span><span class="study_conjugations_pronoun conjugation_pronoun">

(noi) non

</span>ci laviamo

</span>

</div>

</div>

<div class="study_conjugations_forms conjugation_forms highlighted_conjugation">

<div class="conjugation_form">

<span><span class="study_conjugations_pronoun conjugation_pronoun">

(voi) non

</span>lavatevi

</span>

</div>

<div class="conjugation_form">

<span><span class="study_conjugations_pronoun conjugation_pronoun">

(voi) non

</span>vi lavate

</span>

</div>

</div>

<div class="study_conjugations_forms conjugation_forms">

<div class="conjugation_form">

<span><span class="study_conjugations_pronoun conjugation_pronoun">

(Loro) non

</span>si lavino

</span>

</div>

</div>

</div>

</div>

<div class="conjugation_explanation_example_sentence_note">(note the dropped E in the merged tu form: <strong>lavare + ti &#8594; lavarti</strong>)</div>

<div class="conjugation_explanation_example_sentence"><strong>Lavati</strong> le mani con il sapone. (<span style="font-style: italic;">Wash your hands with soap.</span>)</div>

<div class="conjugation_explanation_example_sentence"><strong>Non lavarti/ti lavare</strong> le mani con il sapone. (<span style="font-style: italic;">Don't wash your hands with soap.</span>)</div>