Imperatives and vocatives

Imperative or Command The imperative is used to give orders, to tell someone to do something Aperi ianuam! Open the door! Portate saccos! Bring the bags! Noli scribere nomen tuum! Don’t write your name!

The Imperative singular When you are addressing one person, the imperative form is very easy. Take the present active infinite (i.e., 2nd principle part) and remove the –re. iacta! Throw! (from iactare) cave! Beware (from cavere) disce! Learn (from discere) audi! Listen (from audire)

The imperative plural Imperative plural is made by adding –te to the singular imperative (except in the 3rd conjugation). iacta! iactate! Throw! (from iactare) cave! cavete! Beware! (from cavere) audi! audite! Listen (from audire)

3rd conjugation imperative plural In the 3rd conjugation, the –e of the singular Disce! Lege! Preme! Becomes an –i in the plural (mimicking the 4th conjugation). Discite! Legite! Premite!

The Imperative singular irregulars All verbs follow this rule except for theses three (and sometimes their compounds) Dic! (from dico, dicere) Duc! (from duco, ducere) Fac! (from facio, facere) Some people add fer to make the easily remembered dic, duc, fac, fer. But fer actually follows the rules (remove the –re from the infinitive ferre)

Irregulars are regular in the imperative Fer! (from fero, ferre) Ferte! I! (from eo, ire) Ite! Other irregulars sum, esse, fui, futurus (to be) possum, posse, potui (to be able) volo, velle, volui (to wish, want) and their compounds as a general rule are not used in the imperative and have special forms that are used if needed.

No irregular plurals Dic! (from dico, dicere) Dicite! All three irregular imperatives are from the 3rd conjugation and form regular plural imperatives Dic! (from dico, dicere) Dicite! Duc! (from duco, ducere) Ducite! Fac! (from facio, facere) Facite!

Negative imperatives To tell someone not to do something Noli plus an infinitive is used. The plural of noli is nolite. Noli iactare saccos! Don’t throw the bags! Nolite audire! Don’t listen!

In poetry, the word ne plus the positive imperative can be used Ne curre! Don’t run! Ne timete! Don’t fear! (The present subjunctive can also be used as a type of imperative, but that will be treated later)

Imperatives are often used with a noun that you are addressing Puella, porta saccos! Girl, carry the bags! Duces, accedite ad oppidum! Leaders, approach the town. This word of address is called the vocative, and the form is the same as the nominative except in the 2nd declension singular: Serve, aperi ianuam!

-us to –e, ius to –e only in the 2nd declension A 2nd declension word that ends in –ius will use -i in the vocative: filius: fili! A 2nd declension word that ends in –us will use -e in the vocative: servus: serve! So if you address Marcus Tullius Cicero directly, you will call: Marce Tulli Cicero! (corpus, tempus are 3rd declension words and thus do not use this form)