The imperative (Imperativ) is how you give commands, instructions, or friendly suggestions in German — Komm!, Hör mal!, Bitte machen Sie das Fenster zu. There are three forms to keep track of: the informal singular (du), the informal plural (ihr), and the polite form (Sie), each with its own ending.
The exercises below walk you through all three, starting with the informal du-form (the one you'll use most with friends and family) and building up to the polite version you'd use with strangers, colleagues, and shopkeepers.
Exercise 1: Imperative (Informal)
The informal du-form drops the -st ending and (usually) the personal pronoun: du machst → mach!, du schließt → schließ(e)!. Watch out for stem-changing verbs like geben → gib! and nehmen → nimm!.
Exercise 2: Imperative (Formal)
The polite Sie-form is the easiest of the three: just keep the infinitive and put Sie right after it — Öffnen Sie bitte..., Warten Sie.... This is what you'll use with strangers, customers, and most professional contexts.
Exercise 3: Imperative (Formal & Informal)
A mixed bag — some sentences want the casual du-form, others the polite Sie-form. Use the surrounding tone (and any bitte / Sie cues) to decide which one fits.