Imperatives are used very frequently in our lives. This lesson will show you how to be polite (or less so) yet insistent in your wishes and requests.
Useful phrase in Ukrainian
Listen and repeat the following sentence:
Йди сюди́ та допоможи́ менí.
Come here and help me.
The imperative mood: Both in English and in Ukrainian, we use a verb in the imperative mood when we want to give an order. As you will see in this lesson, the imperative in Ukrainian is very easy to form.
Ukrainian vocabulary
Read, listen and repeat the basic vocabulary of this lesson.
сюди́
here, this way
що тра́пилось?
what happened?
іде́я
idea
щоде́нник
diary
пита́ння
question
ду́же про́сто
very easy
менí со́ромно
I feel ashamed
пíсня / піснí
song / songs
New verbs
Ukrainian verbs that you will see in this lesson
These are the new verbs that you will learn in the dialogues.
Ukrainian (imperfective verb / perfective verb)
English
чека́ти / почека́ти
to wait
Imperfective verbs
запи́тувати
to ask
пам’ята́ти
to remember
забува́ти
to forget
трима́ти
to hold, to grab
допомага́ти
to help
почина́ти
to start
слу́хати
to listen, to hear
Dialogues
With extra help for verbs!
Below you will see three short dialogues in Ukrainian with verbs in the imperative mood.
We are going to help you:
- The Ukrainian verbs in the imperative are highlighted.
Dialogue 1
О́ля, скажи́ менí, ти зна́єш хто він?
Olia, tell me, do you know who he is?
Звича́йно, я зна́ю. Й ти теж зна́єш. Поду́май ще раз…Ти його зна́єш.
Of course I know. And you also know. Think again… You know him.
Так, так… Не кажи́ менí! Це Майкл, так?
Yes, yes… Don’t tell me! It’s Michael, right?
Молоде́ць! Це він. Майкл! Майкл! Йди сюди́!
Well done! That’s him. Michael! Michael! Сome here!
Привíт, Петро́ та Оля́! Як спра́ви?
Hi Petro and Olia! How are you?
Ду́же до́бре!
Very well!
Ну, скажíть, що ви хотíли?
So, tell me, what did you want?
Нічо́го… тíльки сказа́ти привíт…
Nothing… only say hello…
Dialogue 2
Майкл, О́ля, йдіть сюди́!
Michael, Olia, come here!
Почека́й, секу́нду…
Wait a second…
Ні! Я вже чека́ла вчо́ра. Йдіть сюди́!
No! I already waited yesterday. Come here!
Але́, Марíя, що тра́пилось? Скажи́ нам
But Maria, what happened? Tell us.
Ні, ви скажíть менí. Де ви були́ вчо́ра? Що ви вчо́ра роби́ли?
No, you tell me. Where were you yesterday? What did you do yesterday?
Ми вчо́ра нічо́го не роби́ли. Чому́ ти пита́єш?
Yesterday we didn’t do anything. Why do you ask?
Поду́майте до́бре. Майкл, ти нічо́го не пам’ята́єш?
Think harder. Michael, don’t you remember?
Мммммм…А-а, ми хотíли піти́ в кіно́ вчо́ра усí ра́зом! Ми забу́ли!
Mmmh, Ah, yesterday we wanted to go to the cinema together! We forgot about that!
Так-так…А я чека́ла у кіно́ годи́ну!
You did. And I was waiting at the cinema for one hour!
Ви́бач…Ми забу́ли…
Sorry… (=forgive us) We forgot…
Гара́зд…Почека́йте тут. У ме́не є де́що для вас. Ось, трима́йте!
Alright. Wait here. I’ve got something for you. There you go, take it!
Що це?
What is this?
Щоде́нник. Пишíть сюди́ на́ші пла́ни!
It’s a diary. Do write down here all our plans (won’t you ?)!
Dialogue 3
Віта́ю, Оле́на Іва́нівно.
Hello, Olena Ivanivno.
Віта́ю, Том. В те́бе є пита́ння?
Hello, Tom. Have you got any questions?
Так, я хо́чу розмовля́ти украї́нською кра́ще. Допоможíть менí, будь ла́ска.
Yes, I want to speak Ukrainian better. Help me, please.
Це ду́же ле́гко! Розмовля́й бíльше.
That’s very easy! Speak more.
Я не мо́жу розмовля́ти. Менí со́ромно.
I can’t speak. I feel ashamed.
Не ду́май про це. Лише́ розмовля́й!
Don’t think about it (too much), just speak.
До́бре. А що ще?
Alright. And what else?
Чита́й украї́нською. Украї́нська літерату́ра – ду́же ціка́ва.
Read in Ukrainian. Ukrainian literature is very interesting.
Ви ма́єте ра́цію. Це га́рна іде́я.
You are right. That’s a good idea.
Звича́йно, почина́й сього́дні. А ще диви́ся телевíзор украї́нською.
Of course. Start today. Also watch TV in Ukrainian.
Я дивлю́ся телевíзор ко́жен день, але́ я нічо́го не розумíю. Скажíть, що я пови́нен диви́тися?
I watch TV every day, but I don’t understand anything. Tell me, what should I watch?
Не диви́сь фíльми. Кра́ще диви́сь нови́ни та слу́хай украї́нські піснí.
Don’t watch movies. Better watch the news and listen to Ukrainian songs.
Це га́рна іде́я. Дя́кую, Оле́на Іва́нівно.
That’s a good idea. Thank you, Olena Ivanivno.
Ukrainian grammar
Read the following grammar explanations for this lesson:
The imperative mood in Ukrainian
We use a verb in imperative when we want to give an order or make a request. Look at these examples:
| Майкл, йди сюди́! | Michael, come here! |
| Пишíть сюди́ всі на́ші плани́! | Write here our plans! |
| Допоможíть менí, будь ла́ска. | Help me, please. |
In English, to form the imperative of a verb, we remove “to” from the infinitive. To walk –> walk, to write –> write.
In Ukrainian, to form the imperative of a verb, we follow these steps:
- We take the 3rd person singular from the present tense and remove the ending (in Ukrainian there are possible endings: -е (-є), -ить to find a base.
- To form the imperative for the 2nd person singular (ти – you): we add to the base “-и” if the base ends in consonant or “-й” if it ends in vowel
- To form the imperative for the 1st persone plural (ми – we): we add to the base “-імо” if the base ends in consonant or “-ймо” if it ends in vowel
- To form the imperative for the 2nd person plural (ви – you): we add to the base “-іть” if the base ends in consonant “-йте” if it ends in vowel.
Let’s try to summarize it in the simple table with examples:
| писа́ти (to write) | допомага́ти (to help) | сидíти (to sit) | чека́ти (to wait) | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| find a base | “пи́ше” – “е” = “пиш“ | “допомага́є” – “є” = “допомага“ | “сиди́ть” – “ить” = “сид“ | “чека́є” – “є” = “чека“ |
| for you (ти) = > base + “-и” (consonant base) or “-й” (vowel base) | “пиш” + “и” = “пиши́” | “допомага” + “й” = “допомага́й” | “сид” + “и” = “сиди́” | “чека” + “й” = “чека́й” |
| for we (ми) = > base + “-імо” (consonant base) or “-ймо” (vowel base) | “пиш” + “-імо” = “пишíмо” | “допомага” + “-ймо” = “допомага́ймо” | “сид” + + “-імо” = “сидíмо” | “чека” + “-ймо” = “чека́ймо” |
| for you (ви) = > base + “-іть” (consonant base) or “-йте” (vowel base) | “пиш” + “-іть” = “пишíть” | “допомага” + “-йте” = “допомага́йте” | “сид” + “-іть” = “сидíть” | “чека” + “-йте” = “чека́йте” |
EXAMPLES
| Дíти, пишíть ду́же оха́йно! | Children, write very neatly! |
| Будь ла́ска, си́ди та чека́й мене́ тут. | Please, sit down and wait for me here. |
| Дру́зі, допоможíть менí з дома́шнім завда́нням. | Guys, help me with homework. |
| Чека́ймо на авто́бус на тій зупи́нці. | Let’s wait for the bus at that stop. |
Ukrainian imperatives have many exceptions and changes of letters in the base. This lesson offers a general overview of how to form them, but please, check the imperative form of a new verb in the dictionary when you form it by yourself.
Test
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