Italiano — Formal imperative
To give a polite instruction or request when addressing someone as Lei, Italian does not use the true imperative but the present subjunctive: prenda, si accomodi, mi dica.
How it works
The formal imperative (Lei) is the third-person singular of the present subjunctive: prendere → prenda, dire → dica, avere → abbia. Object and reflexive pronouns come before the verb, not attached to it: mi dica, si accomodi, lo prenda. The plural Loro repeats the same idea in the third-person plural (prendano), but today the informal voi is far more common: prendete pure.
Examples
| Infinitive | Formal form (Lei) | Meaning / use |
|---|---|---|
| prendere | prenda | take / have (offering something) |
| accomodarsi | si accomodi | please take a seat / come in |
| dire | mi dica | tell me / how can I help? (with pronoun before) |
| scusare | scusi | excuse me / sorry (getting attention) |
| sentire | senta | listen / excuse me (introducing a question) |
| aspettare | aspetti | wait / one moment |
| avere | abbia | have (irregular): abbia pazienza = please be patient |
Good to know
A frequent mistake is attaching the pronoun as in the informal imperative (prendilo, dimmi). In the formal Lei it stays separate and before the verb: lo prenda, mi dica, si accomodi. The negative simply adds non before the whole group: non si preoccupi, non lo faccia.