The third-person-imperative in Italian

For example, let's start from the verb "prendere". The forms of the verb "prendere" are: if we use TU, "prendi, if we use LEI, "prenda".

From now on I am gonna mention only singular forms, because you got my point, I guess. Plural forms are formed in the same way.

So, if I address someone using TU, I should say: "Prendi questo libro!". With I. If I address them by LEI, I should say: "Prenda questo libro!" with A.

Pronouns clearly behave in the same way. If the verb is "prendersi", I should say "Prenditi questo libro" This in case I use TU. If I Use LEI, I should say: "Si prenda questo libro". As you can see, the clitic pronoun is moved before the verb.

If we take the verb "mettere", we get "metti" if we address someone by TU, "metta" if we address someone by LEI.

In case of "mettersi", forms are "mettiti" if we use TU and "si metta" if we use LEI. So an example sentence could be: "Mettiti la giacca!". Or: "Si metta la giacca!".

If we take "scrivere", we get "scrivi" if we use TU and "scriva" if we use LEI.

If we take "iscriversi", we get "iscriviti" if we use TU and "si iscriva" if we use LEI.

If we take the verb "spingere", we get "spingi" and "spinga". So, if we address someone by TU, we should say "spingi", if we address them by LEI, we should say "spinga".

From "scendere" we get "scendi" if we use TU, and "scenda" if we use LEI.

From "spendere" we get "spendi" if we address someone informally, by TU. And "spenda" if we address them formally by LEI.

If we take the verb "vedere", so a verb ending with a stressed syllable, we get "vedi" if we use TU, and "veda" if we use LEI.

If we take "battere", we get "batti" and "batta". So "Batti!" if we use TU and "Batta!" if we use LEI.

This is quite possibly one of the most famous mistakes from Fantozzi's movie series. There's a scene, which every Italian remembers, where Fantozzi and one colleague of this are playing tennis and at some point Fantozzi's colleague tells him: "Fantozzi, batti!".

He says "batti", but he should say "batta". Because, in this movie, colleagues always address one another by LEI. So, when addressing Fantozzi, the other characters always use LEI.

And so there's this character who says: "Ragioniere, batti! Cosa sta aspettando?! Batti, batti!". And Fantozzi doesn't really know what to do because he finds it weird that his colleague is addressing him by TU. Because the form "batti" actually is the form for TU. So Fantozzi asks: "Ma che fa, mi dà del tu?". And his colleague specifies: "No, no! Batti è congiuntivo!".

- Allora ragioniere, che fa? Batti!

- Ma mi dà del tu?

- No, no, dicevo: batti lei!

- Ah, congiuntivo.

- Sì!

- Aspetti!

Next, there are some verbs ending in "ere" which are quite problematic not because they have a different desinence, but because something in the verb stem changes.

One such verb is "tenere" and all its compound verbs. So "sostenere", "ritenere", etc., "contenere". So "tenere" will be: "Tieni!", second-person-singular, and "Tenga!", third-person-singular.

Pronouns behave in the same way. For example, it should be: "Tieniti questo libro!" if I address someone by TU, and "Si tenga questo libro!" if I address someone by LEI.

Another peculiar verb ending in -ere is "sedere", so... specifically, "sedersi" will give us "Siediti!" if we use TU and "Si sieda!" if we use LEI.

Next, there's the verb "bere" which has rather peculiar forms, which are "Bevi!" and "Beva!". So "Bevi!" if I use TU, "Beva!" if I use LEI.

Similarly, in case of "bersi", verb forms will be: "beviti" - for example "Beviti questa birra!" and "Si beva questa birra!". What's the difference? In the first case I'm addressing this person by TU, in the second case I'm addressing them by LEI.

Well, lastly, I almost forgot, there are two rather peculiar verbs ending in -ere, "essere" and "avere", which obviously have, needless to say, irregular forms. But you probably already know these forms.

Alright! If we take "avere", we have "abbi" for the second-person-singular and "abbia" for the third-person-singular. Therefore, if I address someone by TU, I should say "abbi", whereas if I address someone by LEI, I should say "abbia".

If I take "essere", I get "sii" e "sia". Therefore, if I address someone by TU, I should say "sii", if I address someone by LEI I should say "sia".

Let's move on to verbs ending in -ire!

For example, let's take "aprire". Its forms will be "apri" and "apra". So if I use TU, I should say "Apri!", if I use LEI, I should say "Apra!".

If I take "coprire", I get: "copri" if I use TU and "copra" if I use LEI. The same goes for compund verbs derived from "coprire". For example "scoprire": "scopri" and "scopra".

If I take "sentire", I get "senti" if I use TU and "senta" if I use LEI.

If I take "partire", "parti" and "parta".

Then you know that among verbs ending in -ire there are some rather peculiar verbs, for example "finire". Well, if we take "finire", we will get "finisci" if we use TU and "finisca" if we use LEI.

The verb "salire" is a bit peculiar and in fact we have "sali" if I use TU and "salga" if I use LEI.

Next, the verb "uscire" is rather peculiar and will be "esci" if we use TU and "esca" if we use LEI.

But let's go to two verbs which are used in many scenes from Fantozzi's movies: the verb "dire" and the verb "venire".

In Fantozzi's movies, there are some scenes where one character for example says: "Ragioniere, mi dichi!". So he uses "dichi" instead of using the correct form "dica". Because actually, if we take the verb "dire", we get "Di'" if we use TU and "Dica" if we use LEI.

Similarly, if there's a pronoun, forms will be "dimmi" if we use TU and "mi dica" if we use LEI.

Next, there's the verb "venire" and in many scenes of Fantozzi's movies there's a character saying: "Venghi ragioniere, venghi!". So he uses the form "venghi", instead of the correct form "venga". Or in another scene he says "Venghi, venghi pure!".

The forms of the verb "venire" are "vieni" if I address someone by TU and "venga" if I address someone by LEI.

Well, I think that we examined in a sufficiently detailed way the main types of verbs.

This error is related to a specific form, namely, the imperative mood third-person-singular form. This form is usually explained by saying that in actual fact it is "borrowed" from the subjunctive mood, but in my opinion it's better to explain it as the imperative mood third-person-singular.

We have seen that this form ends in -A in some verbs and in -I in other verbs. Specifically, verbs ending in -ARE have the desinence I, whereas all other verbs have the desinence A. It should be noted, though, that there are some verbs in -are which don't follow this rule. These 4 verbs are: "dare", "fare", "stare" and "andare".

The mistake I called "l'errore di Fantozzi" essentially lies in always using I. That is, using I when you should use the letter A.

Why do people do this? Because the standard verb, the prototypical Italian verb ends in -are, verbs ending in -are are more common and therefore people extend I to all verbs.

But we have seen that the ending -I is only used for verbs ending in -are. In all other verbs the letter -A is used.

Like I said, this is a mistake you should definitely avoid, but honestly it's not that difficult to avoid it. The important thing is to understand how to form the third-person-singular of the imperative mood.

The issue is that this is usually poorly explained, a reference is made to the subjunctive mood, people say that this form "is borrowed" from the congiuntivo. But in my opinion this only creates confusion.

Well, that is it!

Up here I'm gonna add a card to a playlist where I grouped all the videos I made about the errors in the use of the subjunctive mood. Check it out!

I have made several video lessons about the errors in the use of congiuntivo, and I have grouped them all in this playlist. You might wanna take a look at it, if you haven't done it already.