Imperatives
The Imperative, commonly thought of as the command form, actually includes all the senses of willing an action to fruition: command, demand, order, exhortation, permission, concession, entreaty, prayer, and so on. There are two types of the imperative: present (first imperative) and future (second imperative).
Present (First) Imperative
| Active Voice |
| Conjugations:
|
1st |
2nd |
3rd |
3rd io |
4th |
| Singular |
ama |
vide |
rege |
capi |
audi |
| Plural |
amate |
videte |
regite |
capite |
audite |
| Passive Voice |
| Singular |
amare |
videre |
regere |
capere |
audire |
| Plural |
amamini |
videmini |
regimini |
capimini |
audimini |
Future (Second) Imperative
| Active Voice |
| Conjugations: |
1st |
2nd |
3rd |
3rd io |
4th |
2nd
Person |
Singular |
amato |
videto |
regito |
capito |
audito |
| Plural |
amatote |
videtote |
regitote |
capitote |
auditote |
3rd
Person |
Singular |
amato |
videto |
regito |
capito |
audito |
| Plural |
amanto |
vidento |
regunto |
capiunto |
audiunto |
| Passive Voice |
2nd
Person |
Singular |
amator |
videtor |
regitor |
capitor |
auditor |
| Plural |
-- |
-- |
-- |
-- |
-- |
3rd
Person |
Singular |
amator |
videtor |
regitor |
capitor |
auditor |
| Plural |
amantor |
videntor |
reguntor |
capiuntor |
audiuntor |
- Present (First) Imperative
- Occurs only in the 2nd person singular and plural, active and passive voices
- The 1st and 3rd person present imperative are supplied by forms of the subjunctive (hortatory, volitive, jussive).
- Expects immediate fulfillment
- Compesce mentem. Compose your mind (right now). (Calm down.)
- Future (Second) Imperative
- Occurs only in the 2nd and 3rd person singular and plural, active and passive voices
- Expects continuous fulfillment into future time or contigent fulfillment at some later date
- Used chiefly in laws, recipes, maxims, and legal documents
- Compescito mentem. Be sure to compose your mind. Keep calm.
Regio imperio duo sunto, iique consules appellamino. There shall be two men with royal power, and they shall be called consuls.
- Negative of Imperatives
- The regular negative of the imperative is ne plus the imperative, though this is used as the negative of the present imperative only occasionally and in poetry.
- The present imperative often uses either noli (singular) or nolite (plural) plus the infinitive as its negative.
- Ne turbato sororem tuam. Thou shalt not upset thy sister. (Be sure not to upset your sister.)
Noli me tangere! Don't touch me!
renovata antediem octo Idibus Juliis MMDCCLV A.U.C. (ab urbe condita)
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