Lesson 7: The Imperative & Akkusativ Pronouns (Lektion 19)
A complete guide to the Imperative mood with du and ihr, personal pronouns in the Akkusativ case, household chores, polite requests, and expressing daily complaints.
Welcome to Lesson 7 of Track A1.2 (Lektion 19 in the official Momente curriculum)! Today we cover the core grammar rules for giving instructions and making requests using the Imperative mood (Der Imperativ) with the second-person pronouns du and ihr. We will also learn how to use personal pronouns in the Akkusativ case to avoid repeating nouns, alongside household vocabulary, polite requests, and expressing complaints.
All German words and sentences in this lesson feature high-definition interactive audio pronunciation. For the best audio experience, please open this lesson using Google Chrome.
1. Core Grammar Principles (Grammatik)
Here we break down the two essential grammar topics of this lesson with comprehensive tables and explanations:
The Imperative Mood (Der Imperativ)
The Imperative is used to give instructions, requests, complaints, or advice in daily life.
A) Imperative with singular du: Conjugate the verb with du in the present tense, then drop the pronoun du and remove the -st ending. Stem-changing vowels are often dropped (e.g., wasch). Irregular exceptions include: sein ➔ Sei!, haben ➔ Hab!, and kommen ➔ Komm!.
B) Imperative with plural ihr: Conjugate the verb with ihr in the present tense (ending in -t), then simply drop the pronoun ihr while keeping the verb form unchanged (e.g., Macht! or Seid!).
| Verb (Infinitiv) | Imperative with du | Imperative with ihr | Imperative with Sie | Audio |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| aufmachen |
Mach auf!
|
Macht auf!
|
Machen Sie auf!
|
|
| sein |
Sei so lieb!
|
Seid pünktlich!
|
Seien Sie ruhig!
|
Personal Pronouns in the Akkusativ Case
Personal pronouns in the accusative case replace direct objects to avoid unnecessary noun repetition:
- Masculine noun (der Müll) ➔ replaced by ihn
- Neuter noun (das Geschirr) ➔ replaced by es
- Feminine noun (die Küche) ➔ replaced by sie
- Plural noun (die Fenster) ➔ replaced by sie
| Nominative (Subject) | Accusative (Object) | Example Sentence | Audio |
|---|---|---|---|
| ich (I) | mich |
Du nervst mich!
|
|
| du (you) | dich |
Ich rufe dich an.
|
|
| er (he - der Müll) | ihn |
Wo ist der Müll? Ich bringe ihn raus.
|
|
| es (it - das Fahrrad) | es |
Das Fahrrad ist kaputt. Ich repariere es.
|
|
| sie (she - die Mülltüte) | sie |
Die Mülltüte? Gib mir sie!
|
|
| wir (we) | uns |
Der Bus fährt nicht. Holst du uns ab?
|
2. Household Chores & Polite Requests (Wortschatz & Bitten)
Here is the primary vocabulary glossary for daily household tasks, expressing requests, and addressing daily complaints:
| German Term (Deutsch) | English Translation | Usage & Context | Audio |
|---|---|---|---|
|
das Zimmer aufräumen
|
To tidy up the room | Räum bitte dein Zimmer auf! | |
|
den Müll rausbringen
|
To take out the trash | Bring den Müll bitte raus! (ihn) | |
|
das Geschirr abwaschen
|
To wash the dishes | Ich wasche das Geschirr ab. (es) | |
|
Sei so lieb und...
|
Be so kind and... | Used to formulate a friendly, polite request. | |
|
Das finde ich nicht in Ordnung.
|
I do not find this acceptable / right | Used to express criticism and objections clearly. |
3. Practical Exercises & Pronoun Substitution (Praktische Übungen)
Practice formulating imperative sentences with du and ihr, and replacing nouns with Akkusativ pronouns:
Part 1: Formulating Imperatives with du and ihr
| Household Task | Imperative with du | Imperative with ihr | Audio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Fenster putzen (Clean the window) |
Putz bitte das Fenster!
|
Putzt bitte das Fenster!
|
|
| Licht anmachen (Turn on the light) |
Mach bitte das Licht an!
|
Macht bitte das Licht an!
|
Part 2: Using Accusative Pronouns for Noun Substitution
| German Sentence | Grammar Reason & Pronoun Replacement | Audio |
|---|---|---|
|
Wo ist der Autoschlüssel? Ich finde ihn nicht.
|
Masculine noun der Autoschlüssel is replaced by ihn. | |
|
Ich habe die Mülltüte vergessen. Bringst du sie bitte raus?
|
Feminine noun die Mülltüte is replaced by sie. |
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)
How is the Imperative formed with the pronoun du?
By conjugating the verb with du in the present tense, then dropping the pronoun du and removing the -st ending, while removing any umlauts in stem-changing verbs like wasch.
What are the irregular Imperative forms for the verb sein with du and ihr?
For du, it becomes Sei! (e.g., Sei so lieb!), and for ihr, it becomes Seid! (e.g., Seid bitte pünktlich!).
How is the Imperative formed with the plural pronoun ihr?
By conjugating the verb with ihr in the present tense (ending in -t), then dropping the pronoun ihr while keeping the verb form unchanged (e.g., Macht! or Putzt!).
How are personal pronouns used in the Akkusativ case?
They replace direct nouns to avoid repetition, where masculine der becomes ihn, neuter das becomes es, and feminine/plural die becomes sie.
How do ich and du change when shifted to the Akkusativ case?
The first-person pronoun ich changes to mich, and the second-person singular du changes to dich in the accusative case.
How do you form a polite or friendly request in German?
By using phrases like Sei so lieb und... or Sei so nett und... alongside the imperative verb or adding bitte.
What expressions are used to express daily complaints or problems?
Phrases such as Ich habe ein Problem, Das finde ich nicht in Ordnung, or Das geht so nicht are commonly used.
What are the irregular imperative forms for haben and kommen with du?
The verb haben becomes Hab! and kommen becomes Komm! in the singular imperative form with du.
Educational References & Curricula
Certified German Textbooks & Standards
This lesson's structure and grammar rules are reviewed against internationally accredited German learning materials:
- Momente A1 (Lektion 19) - Hueber Verlag
- Schritte International Neu (A1.2) - Hueber Verlag
- Netzwerk neu A1.2 - Klett Sprachen
- Begegnungen A1+ - Schubert-Verlag
- Grammatik aktiv A1-B1 - Cornelsen Verlag
- Langenscheidt Grammatik Deutsch - Langenscheidt Verlag
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