How to give commands in Japanese?

In Japanese, when you want to give a direct order, like “Do your homework!” or “Don’t touch it!”, you’ll use the command form, also known as 命令形 (transcribed meirei kei).

While the command form in Japanese can sound blunt or impolite, depending on the situation, it is quite commonly used in everyday speech, and doesn’t always carry a negative connotation. If you want to be a little more polite though, there is another form, the 〜なさい (transcribed nasai) form, which is a little less assertive.

In this post, we’ll cover how to form and use the command form and when you might want to use the 〜なさい (transcribed nasai) form instead. Sounds good? Let’s dive in!

The ending of a Japanese command form depends on the verb group. Let’s see each group below.

• Ru-verbs:

  For ru-verbs, simply remove the final る (transcribed ru) and replace it with ろ (transcribed ro).

  Dictionary Form	Command Form
  たべる Transcription: taberu Translation: to eat	たべろ Transcription: tabero Translation: Eat!
  みる Transcription: miru Translation: to watch	みろ Transcription: miro Translation: Watch!

• U-verbs:

  For u-verbs, drop the final “u” sound and replace it with “e.” For instance, when you make the command form of the u-verb かう (transcribed kau, meaning “to buy”), replace “u” with “e,” which results in かえ (transcribed kae, meaning “Buy”).

  Dictionary Form	Command Form
  かう Transcription: kau Translation: to buy	かえ Transcription: kae Translation: Buy!
  いく Transcription: iku Translation: to go	いけ Transcription: ike Translation: Go!
  はなす Transcription: hanasu Translation: to speak	はなせ Transcription: hanase Translation: Speak!

• Irregular verbs:

  For the irregular verbs する (transcribed suru) and くる (transcribed kuru), you just need to remember the forms.

  Dictionary Form	Command Form
  する Transcription: suru Translation: to do	しろ Transcription: shiro Translation: Do!
  くる Transcription: kuru Translation: to come	こい Transcription: koi Translation: Come!

  Remember that this will affect the forms compound verbs that borrow these irregular verbs, like 勉強する (transcribed benkyō suru, meaning “to study”) and 持ってくる (transcribed motte kuru, meaning “to bring”)!

  Dictionary Form	Command Form
  掃除する Transcription: sōji suru Translation: to clean	掃除しろ Transcription: sōji shiro Translation: Clean up!
  持ってくる Transcription: motte kuru Translation: to bring	持ってこい Transcription: mottekoi Translation: Bring (it)!

The Japanese command form is a straightforward and assertive way of giving someone instructions or orders. It is commonly used in two main situations:

1. The speaker has authority or power over the listener, e.g. a boss to staff, a senior to a junior.

2. The speaker and listener have a close and equal relationship, e.g. between children, between close friends.

Let’s look at some examples!

• Situation 1:

  The older brother prepared dinner for the family, but the younger brother complained about the food.

  Older brother:

  文句があるなら、自分で作れ。

  Transcription: Monku ga aru nara, jibun de tsukure.

  Translation: If you have a complaint, then make it yourself!

  The older brother has seniority over the younger brother.

• Situation 2:

  When the manager enters the office, he finds an employee playing on his phone.

  Manager:

  おい、仕事中に遊ぶな。

  Transcription: Oi, shigoto chū ni asobu na.

  Translation: Hey, don't play during work!

  The manager has authority over the employee.

• Situation 3:

  You are at a supermarket with your uncle. He is giving you some pocket money.

  Uncle:

  これで好きなもの買え。

  Transcription: Kore de suki na mono kae.

  Translation: Buy whatever you like with this (money)!

  This is more friendly, but your uncle still has seniority over you.

• Situation 4:

  You're at your friend's house. He has a lot of comic books, and you asked for recommendations. He is handing you his favorite one.

  Friend:

  これ、読んでみろ。

  Transcription: Kore yonde miro.

  Translation: Give this one a read!

  You and your friend are equals, but the command form is still fine in a casual context.

Besides this classic use, though, there are a few other, more specialized cases where you can use the command form. You’ll also use the command form:

• In emergencies or fights:

  In emergencies, or other situations where there’s no time to be polite, you can use the command form with anyone.

  Emergency:

  火事だ！早く逃げろ！

  Transcription: Kaji da! Hayaku nigero!

  Translation: Fire! Run away quickly!

  Fight:

  触るな！

  Transcription: Sawaru na!

  Translation: Don’t touch (me)!

• Notices to the general public:

  The command form is also used for traffic signs and posted notices that convey instructions or information that people must follow.

  Traffic Sign:

  止まれ。

  Transcription: Tomare.

  Translation: Stop.

  On a freshly-painted chair:

  すわるな。

  Transcription: Suwaru na.

  Translation: Don’t sit.

• Cheering for someone:

  When you want to cheer for someone, like you might at a sports game, the command form can be used.

  頑張れ！

  Transcription: Ganbare!

  Translation: You can do it; good luck!

  行け、ファイターズ！

  Transcription: Ike, Faitāzu!

  Translation: (Let’s) go, Fighters!

• Quoting or reporting someone’s command:

  When you want to quote someone who used the command form, you’ll keep the verb in the command form, regardless of how you report their command.

  兄が部屋を掃除しろと言いました。

  Transcription: Ani ga heya o sōji shiro to iimashita.

  Translation: My older brother told me to clean my room.

  You can use the command form to report someone’s command even if the original speaker didn’t use the command form.

  • Mother:

    ゲームはもうだめ。

    Transcription: Gēmu wa mō dame.

    Translation: No more video games.

    This instruction is given without using the command form.
  • Son:

    母がゲームをやめろと言いました。

    Transcription: Haha ga gēmu o yamero to iimashita.

    Translation: My mom told me to stop playing video games.

    Quoting his mother, the son does use the command form.

  Check out our post on reported speech in Japanese to learn more about how to quote others!

When someone in a position of authority or power wants to convey a command in a less assertive manner, they can attach the ending 〜なさい (transcribed nasai) to the masu stem of the verb.

なさい (transcribed nasai) is most commonly used when an instructor gives a command, and so it is mostly used in few very specific contexts, like from parent to child, a teacher to student, or in exam instructions. In these sorts of contexts, なさい (transcribed nasai) can also be used to give permission or offer advice in a firm and assertive manner, guiding the listener towards a particular action.

• Parent to child:

  そんなにサッカーが習いたいなら、一度練習に行ってみなさい。

  Transcription: Son’na ni sakkā ga naraitai nara, ichido renshū ni itte minasai.

  Translation: If you really want to learn soccer that much, go ahead and attend practice once.
• Teacher to student:

  作文が上手になりたいなら、日記を書きなさい。

  Transcription: Sakubun ga jōzu ni naritai nara, nikki o kakinasai.

  Translation: If you want to improve your writing skills, then write a diary.
• Exam question:

  次の問題に答えなさい。

  Transcription: Tsugi no mondai ni kotae nasai.

  Translation: Answer the following questions.

The particles よ (transcribed yo) and 〜って (transcribed -tte)／ 〜ってば (transcribed -tteba) can be added to なさい (transcribed nasai).

• Mother to child:

  早く寝なさいよ。

  Transcription: Hayaku ne nasai yo.

  Translation: Go to bed soon.
• Mother to child:

  宿題やりなさいって／ってば！

  Transcription: Shukudai o yari nasai tte/tteba.

  Translation: I told you to do your homework!

However, なさい (transcribed nasai) is only used to give affirmative commands. It does not have a negative form.

In this post, we’ve covered how to use the command form in Japanese. Here is a summary for you:

Ready to practice what you’ve learned? Check out this Japanese command form activity to test your skills! Happy learning!