Verbs: Imperative Mood

01

The Three Forms

• Informal singular (to ti): the bare command, e.g. jedi (eat), kupi (buy), dođi (come)
• Plural / polite (to vi): adds -te, e.g. jedite, kupite, dođite
• "Let's" (to mi): adds -mo, e.g. jedimo, idemo

• Pojedi nešto.

  Eat something.

• pojed- the verb stem, -i the command ending for one person you know

• Molim vas, sjedite.

  Please, sit down.

• sjed-i-te - the same -i with -te added, which makes it plural or polite

• Jedimo pizzu.

  Let's eat pizza.

• jed-i-mo - the same -i again, now with -mo for "let's". The ordinary present is jedemo (we eat), so the -i- is what makes it a command

02

Polite Commands

To a stranger or a group, use the -te form. It is the normal polite way to give an instruction or make a request, and pairs naturally with molim vas (please).

• Ponesite svoje torbe.

  Bring your bags.

• Govorite glasnije, molim.

  Speak louder, please.

• Nazovite me ako nešto zatreba.

  Call me if you need anything.

03

Negative Commands: 'nemoj'

To tell someone not to do something, Bosnian does not just add ne. It uses the helper nemoj (singular) or nemojte (plural/polite) plus the infinitive.

• Nemoj biti tužna.

  Don't be sad.

• Nemoj to jesti!

  Don't eat that!

• Molim vas, nemojte ovdje pušiti.

  Please don't smoke here.

04

How the Imperative Is Formed

The informal singular is the heart of the imperative; the other two forms just add an ending to it. Most verbs build it from the present stem with -i, while verbs whose stem ends in a vowel take -j.

• -i: jesti → jedi (eat), doći → dođi (come), kupiti → kupi (buy)
• -j: gledati → gledaj (look), čitati → čitaj (read)

The plural adds -te to that form, and the "let's" form adds -mo.

• Gledaj, ovo je moja nova kuća.

  Look, this is my new house.

• Izaberi par cipela.

  Choose a pair of shoes.

05

Everyday Instructions

The imperative is the natural form for directions, recipes, advice and signs.

• Idite ravno dok ne vidite žutu zgradu.

  Go straight until you see the yellow building.

• Skrenite desno kod crkve.

  Turn right at the church.

• Zapamti da nikad ne zaključavaš ova vrata.

  Remember never to lock this door.

06

Object Pronouns Follow the Command

Short object pronouns attach right after the imperative as clitics.

• Kupi ga!

  Buy it!

• Vrati mi ga!

  Give it back to me!

• Probudi me kad avion sleti.

  Wake me up when the plane lands.

07

Invitations with 'hajde'

Beside the regular forms above, Bosnian has the lively hajde (come on) and its plural hajdemo (let's go), used to urge or invite. hajdemo does the same job as a -mo imperative but is not built from a verb - it stands on its own and the verb that follows it stays in the infinitive.

• Hajdemo sutra u kino.

  Let's go to the cinema tomorrow.

• Hajdemo jesti pizzu.

  Let's eat pizza.

• hajdemo carries the "let's", and jesti stays an infinitive after it

Just as often, hajde is followed by da and a verb in the -mo form: hajde invites, and the verb says who joins in - you and I.

• Hajde da napravimo plan za vikend.

  Let's make a plan for the weekend.

• napravimo "we make" - the present tense of the verb, not an infinitive