Free Italian Imperative Worksheets
These free Italian imperative worksheets print the commands your class is working on, from tu commands such as parla and non parlare to formal Lei commands such as me lo dica. There are four exercises: writing the command, adding the pronouns, making it negative and filling in a chart. Every sheet prints on A4 or US Letter or saves as a PDF, with or without an answer key, and you don't need to sign up.
Four Italian imperative exercises
- Write the command. Students write the command for the person and verb given: (tu) parlare → parla, and (tu) non + parlare → non parlare.
- Add the pronouns. Students put the command and its pronouns together: Di' + mi + lo → Dimmelo, and Dica + mi + lo → Me lo dica.
- Make it negative. Students turn an affirmative command into a negative one: Dimmelo. → Non dirmelo. The answer key gives Non me lo dire as well.
- Fill-in chart. The chart is a table of up to 12 verbs, with one column for each person you pick. Tu gets two columns, affirmative and negative, because its negative is a different form, non plus the infinitive (parla, non parlare). Lei, noi and voi get one column each, since their negative is non plus the same form (parli, non parli). The first row is filled in as an example.
Choosing the persons and verbs
Every worksheet starts with the persons: any of tu, Lei, noi and voi. For a worksheet on formal commands, pick Lei on its own. Nothing is selected for you, and if you press “Create worksheet” too early, each step still missing is outlined in red.
The other choices depend on the exercise. “Write the command” and “Add the pronouns” let you choose affirmative or negative commands (parla or non parlare). “Add the pronouns” takes one or two pronouns, and “Make it negative” takes none, one or two.
The verbs come in the same six sets as the Italian imperative quiz:
- Regular: parlare → parla, parli
- Regular with -isc-: finire → finisci, finisca
- Spelling change: cercare → cerca, cerchi
- The 8 irregular tu commands: va', da', di', fa', sta', sii, abbi, sappi
- Other irregular verbs: venire → vieni, venga
- Reflexive: alzarsi → alzati, si alzi
A sheet can have 10, 15, 20, 25 or 30 lines. “Shuffle” makes a new sheet from the same choices, which lets you hand out more than one version of the same worksheet.
Printing, the answer key and saving as PDF
Every worksheet prints on A4 or US Letter, with or without the answer key. The preview starts with neither choice made, and the sheet appears once you've picked both. If you print the worksheets with answers, the answer key starts on a new page. To save the Italian imperative exercises as a PDF, choose “Save as PDF” in the print dialog and set the margins to none.
Worksheets on paper, the quiz on screen
The worksheets use the same verbs and rules as the Italian imperative quiz, which asks for one command at a time and gives the reason after every answer. Students can practice there between lessons, and “Practice my mistakes” runs the commands they missed again. To teach the rules first, the Italian imperative guide sets out every form, from the eight irregular tu commands to where the pronouns go. For the other tenses, the Italian verb conjugation worksheets print fill-in boxes for the same verbs. If you teach Spanish, French or German too, the Spanish commands worksheets, the French imperative worksheets and the German imperative worksheets each print four exercises with an answer key on its own page.
Frequently asked questions
Are these Italian imperative worksheets free?
Yes, they're free to make, print and save as PDF, and you don't need to sign up.
Can I make a formal Lei worksheet as a PDF?
Pick Lei as the person, then print and choose "Save as PDF" in the print dialog, with the margins set to none. In the fill-in chart, Lei gets one column, because its negative is non plus the same form: parli, non parli.
Can I print the worksheet without the answer key?
The preview lets you choose with or without it before the sheet appears. When you include the answer key, it starts on a new page.
Why does tu get two columns in the chart?
Its negative isn't the affirmative with non in front. Parla becomes non parlare, non plus the infinitive, so tu needs a column for each. Lei, noi and voi add non to the same form (parli, non parli), so they get one column each.
What does the answer key give for a negative with pronouns?
In "Make it negative," Dimmelo becomes Non dirmelo, and the key also gives Non me lo dire, because a negative tu command can put the pronouns on the end or before.
How many lines can a worksheet have?
You can choose 10, 15, 20, 25 or 30, and "Shuffle" makes a new sheet from the same choices.
Do the worksheets match the quiz?
Yes, they use the same verbs and rules as the Italian imperative quiz, so a class can practice the same commands on paper and on screen.
Licenses and credits
Conjugation tables come from English Wiktionary through kaikki.org (CC BY-SA 4.0). Verbs are ranked by Hermit Dave's FrequencyWords list, built from OpenSubtitles 2018 (CC BY-SA 4.0).