A2 Japanese Grammar || Japanese Command Form

The Japanese Command Form will come in handy when making requests are not enough for what you want to obtain!

This lesson will make plenty of references to Japanese verbs, so make sure you review the lesson about plain form verbs, as well as the one about special verbs.

Japanese Command Form | Introduction

Japanese Command Form | Group 1 Verbs

Japanese Command Form | Group 2 Verbs

Japanese Command Form | Irregular Verbs

Japanese Command Form | FAQ’s

Japanese Command Form || Introduction

Commands are the more forceful option compared to requests.

Even in its most polite form, using it tends to put you in a position above the person you are speaking to.

When speaking casually, the て (te) form of a verb can act as a command form.

It is more suitable for speaking to equals:

Verbs also have a command form that we can conjugate them into. This makes any verb into a short quick command.

Now let’s see in the next chapters how to conjugate the Japanese command forms.

Japanese Command Form || Group 1 Verbs

Let’s have a look into conjugating group 1 verbs.

Replace the final -u syllable with its corresponding -e syllable

REVIEW || We explain what are group 1 verbs extensively in this lesson.

EXAMPLE 1

EXAMPLE 2

Japanese Command Form || Group 2 Verbs

To conjugate the group 2 verbs and make it a command, you need to:

Remove the final る ru syllable (making the word into its ます masu stem) and add ろ ro

EXAMPLE 1

EXAMPLE 2

Japanese Command Form || Irregular Verbs

Let’s have two examples first, we’ll explain after:

This form really puts the speaker above the listener, which is why it’s used by people like bosses to sound in control.

To be commanding but in a more polite way, we can use なさい (nasai).

なさい is the honorific form of しろ (shiro), which the imperative form of the verb する (suru). 

To use it, we will attach it to the ます (masu) stem form of the verb we are commanding someone to do:

This way of asking someone to do something still has the nuance of talking to someone of a lower position, like a parent telling a child to do their homework.

It would sound strange and condescending to speak like this to a friend or someone above you!

The opposite of this form, as in to say “don’t do~!”, would be plain form verb + な

This form, like the command form, puts the speaker in an authority position over the listener.

Are you a Flexi Classes student already?

Learn more about the Japanese Command Form in the following Flexi lessons:

Call Me Everyday (A2+, Chapter 4)
Be Quiet (B1, Chapter 2)
I Was Told To Wait (B1+, Chapter 1)
Run! (B1+, Chapter 1)

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Now you know how to make commands in Japanese! We hope this was a useful lesson.

Make sure to also study the following lessons:

• Making requests in Japanese
• How to use Japanese honorifics
• Japanese sentence structure
• Japanese negative form

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MAKING COMMANDS IN JAPANESE || FAQ’s