Learn Japanese
How to Make Commands and Requests in Japanese
Let’s talk about one of the strongest verb forms in Japanese: the 命令形 (めいれいけい) – the Command Form!
Is a verb conjugation that changes verbs into commands, orders, and demands. As you can imagine, it is pretty strong and not exactly super polite to use. For softer ways to tell people what to do, you can opt for the verb ending ~なさい or the て form. If you need to learn how to boss people around though, read on!
What is it?
The command form is used to give strong instructions or orders. It’s not very polite, so you’ll mostly hear it in:
– Military-style orders
– Anime arguments
– Teachers or bosses speaking to subordinates
How to conjugate:
🔸 Godan verbs → Change final kana from う-line → え-line
（書く → 書け, 泳ぐ → 泳げ）
🔸 Ichidan verbs → Drop る and add ろ
（食べる → 食べろ, 見る → 見ろ）
🔸 Irregular verbs:
・する → しろ
・来る（くる）→ 来い
・くれる → くれ
USING THE COMMAND FORM
Since the command form is pretty… commanding, it isn’t considered super polite. For this reason, it’s mostly used in by people in a position of authority to their subordinates. For example:
Example:
「ちゃんと黒板見ろ！」
Look at the blackboard properly!
Note: Use with caution! If you want to sound polite, stick with ～てください or ～なさい forms instead.
Related Post:
Japanese Grammar: Volitional Form
Japanese Verb Conjugation: The Passive Form
