Imperative: Masculine Singular

The imperative is actually a modified version of the present tense. Think of it as the present tense's cooler, more assertive cousin. In Arabic, we only give direct commands to the second person. This means you are always talking to "you" (anta). You cannot command "him" or "them" directly in this way. Because we are talking to anta, we always start with the anta present tense form. For example, "you write" is taktubu. To turn this into "Write!", we perform a little grammar surgery. We strip away the parts that indicate "you are doing" and leave the core action. It is like removing the packaging to get to the gift inside. The result is a short, sharp word that prompts immediate action. It is efficient and powerful.

1. 1Creating the imperative follows a very logical four-step process:
2. 2Start with the present tense verb for anta (you, masc.). Let's use tashrabu (you drink).
3. 3Remove the prefix ta- from the beginning. Now you have shrabu.
4. 4Change the final vowel to a sukun (the zero-vowel circle). This gives us shrab.
5. 5Check if the first letter is now a "silent" letter (it has a sukun). In shrab, the sh is silent. You cannot start a word with a silent letter in Arabic. It is like trying to start a car in fifth gear! To fix this, we add a "helper" alif at the start.
6. 6How do you know which vowel goes on the alif? Look at the middle letter of the original verb. If the middle letter has a *damma* (the 'u' sound), the alif gets a *damma*. For taktubu, the middle 't' has a *u*. So, it becomes uktub. If the middle letter has a *fatha* ('a') or *kasra* ('i'), the alif always gets a *kasra*. For tashrabu, the middle 'r' has an 'a', so it becomes ishrab. For tajlisu, the middle 'l' has an 'i', so it becomes ijlis.

The imperative is your go-to for many real-world situations. Imagine you are at a busy cafe in Cairo. You want to tell the waiter "Bring the tea!" You would use the imperative. Or maybe you are helping a friend find your house. You tell him, "Turn right!" or "Enter here!" These are all imperatives. It is also perfect for giving heartfelt advice. If a friend is stressed, you might say ishrab al-ma'a (Drink water) or ijlis (Sit down). In a job interview, the interviewer might say tafaddal (Please, come in/sit). It is not always a "command" in the harsh sense. It is often a polite invitation or a helpful suggestion. Just remember to use a friendly tone of voice! Think of it as a grammar traffic light—it tells people exactly when to go.

There are a few times when you should put the imperative away. First, never use this specific form for a woman. If you are talking to Sarah, uktub will sound wrong. She needs the feminine version. Second, don't use it for a group of people. That requires the plural form. Third, don't use it if you want to say "Don't do something." Negative commands (prohibitions) use a different structure entirely. You would use laa plus a different verb form. Finally, be careful with very formal situations. While the imperative is fine, adding a word like min fadlak (please) makes it much smoother. You don't want to sound like a king talking to a servant unless you actually are one!

The most common trip-up is forgetting to remove the ta- prefix. Beginners often say taktub instead of uktub. It is a natural mistake! You are just used to the present tense. Another classic error is keeping the final vowel. Saying uktubu sounds like you are starting a sentence but never finishing it. Remember the sukun at the end! It provides that "stop" sound that makes it a command. Also, watch out for the alif vowel. Many people want to put a *fatha* on the alif. Arabic almost never starts an imperative with a *fatha*. It is usually either u or i. If you are unsure, i is often a safer bet, but checking the middle vowel is the only way to be 100% sure. Yes, even native speakers mess this up sometimes when they are in a rush!

It is helpful to compare the imperative with the present tense. The present tense taktubu means "you are writing." It is a statement of fact. The imperative uktub means "Write!" It is a call to action. Think of the present tense as a documentary and the imperative as a director's shout. There is also the "Jussive" mood, which looks very similar to the imperative. The Jussive is used after words like lam (did not). While they look alike, their meanings are totally different. The imperative stands alone. It doesn't need a helper word like lam. It is the star of its own sentence.