Imperatives (请/别/不要)
A1 祈使句（请、别、不要） 13 / 56
In short
To give a command, just say the verb phrase and drop the subject 你 (nǐ, “you”): 坐 (zuò) = “Sit”. Front it with 请 (qǐng, “please”) to be polite: 请坐 (qǐng zuò) = “Please sit”. To tell someone not to do something, put 别 (bié) or 不要 (búyào) before the verb: 别坐 / 不要坐 = “Don’t sit”.
The rule
Chinese has no special imperative form - no ending, no conjugation. An order is simply the plain verb phrase, and the subject 你 / 你们 (nǐ / nǐmen, “you / you all”) is normally dropped because it is obvious who you are talking to.
Positive command - bare verb phrase:
(请) + Verb phrase (+ 吧)
- 坐。 (Zuò.) = Sit.
- 进来。 (Jìnlái.) = Come in.
Step 1 - be polite with 请. Put 请 (qǐng, “please”) at the very front of the command. It is the single most useful politeness word and never changes form: 请坐 (qǐng zuò) = “please sit”, 请进 (qǐng jìn) = “please come in”. You may name the person with 请你 (qǐng nǐ) for a pointed, still-polite request: 请你安静一点 (qǐng nǐ ānjìng yìdiǎn) = “please be a bit quieter”.
Step 2 - soften with 吧. Tag the particle 吧 (ba) onto the end and a blunt order becomes a friendly suggestion or invitation: 走吧 (zǒu ba) = “let’s go / go on then”, 坐吧 (zuò ba) = “have a seat”.
Negative command (prohibition) - 别 or 不要:
别 / 不要 + Verb phrase (+ 了)
To forbid an action, put 别 (bié) or 不要 (búyào) before the verb. Both mean “don’t”. 别 is the contraction of 不要 and dominates in speech; 不要 is a touch more explicit and firmer.
- 别去。 (Bié qù.) = Don’t go.
- 不要去。 (Búyào qù.) = Don’t go.
Add 了 to mean “stop / enough”. The frame 别 + Verb + 了 tells someone to quit an action already underway: 别哭了 (bié kū le) = “stop crying”, 别说了 (bié shuō le) = “that’s enough, stop talking”. Without 了 it means “don’t (start)”; with 了 it means “quit what you are doing”.
Polite prohibition. Stack them: 请别 / 请不要 = “please don’t”. 请别抽烟 / 请不要抽烟 (qǐng bié / búyào chōuyān) = “please don’t smoke”.
Pronunciation note. 不 (bù) shifts to the 2nd tone bú before a 4th-tone syllable, and 要 (yào) is 4th tone - so 不要 is pronounced búyào, not bùyào.
Forms & patterns
The command frames, positive and negative:
| Function | Pattern | Example | Gloss |
|---|---|---|---|
| plain command | Verb phrase | 坐。(zuò) | Sit. |
| polite request | 请 + VP | 请坐。(qǐng zuò) | Please sit. |
| soft suggestion | VP + 吧 | 坐吧。(zuò ba) | Have a seat. |
| prohibition | 别 / 不要 + VP | 别坐。/ 不要坐。(bié zuò / búyào zuò) | Don’t sit. |
| stop doing it | 别 + VP + 了 | 别坐了。(bié zuò le) | Stop sitting there. |
| polite prohibition | 请别 / 请不要 + VP | 请别坐。(qǐng bié zuò) | Please don’t sit. |
别 vs 不要 at a glance:
| Form | Pinyin | Register | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| 别 | bié | colloquial, most common in speech | a squeezed-together 不要 |
| 不要 | búyào | neutral, explicit, a bit firmer | literally “not want to” -> “don’t” |
| 请勿 | qǐng wù | written / formal notices | ”please do not” on signs |
Examples
- 请坐。 (Qǐng zuò.) - Please sit down.
- 请进！ (Qǐng jìn!) - Please come in!
- 请给我一杯水。 (Qǐng gěi wǒ yì bēi shuǐ.) - Please give me a glass of water.
- 快走吧！ (Kuài zǒu ba!) - Come on, let’s get going!
- 别担心。 (Bié dānxīn.) - Don’t worry.
- 别哭了。 (Bié kū le.) - Stop crying.
- 上课的时候不要说话。 (Shàngkè de shíhou búyào shuōhuà.) - Don’t talk during class.
- 请不要抽烟。 (Qǐng búyào chōuyān.) - Please don’t smoke.
- 请你安静一点。 (Qǐng nǐ ānjìng yìdiǎn.) - Please be a bit quieter.
- 小心！ (Xiǎoxīn!) - Be careful!
Common mistakes
- 不喝！ (meaning “Don’t drink!”) -> 别喝！/ 不要喝！ (bié hē! / búyào hē!) - plain 不 + verb is a statement (“won’t drink”), never a command; a prohibition needs 别 or 不要.
- 没说话！ (meaning “Don’t talk!”) -> 别说话！ (bié shuōhuà!) - 没 (méi) negates the past (“didn’t speak”); to forbid an action, use 别 / 不要, not 没.
- 给我请一杯水。 -> 请给我一杯水。 (qǐng gěi wǒ yì bēi shuǐ) - 请 sits at the very front of the whole command, not in the middle.
- bùyào -> búyào - 不 becomes 2nd-tone bú before the 4th-tone 要 (yào); write and say búyào.
Tips
- 请 (qǐng) is your all-purpose “please”: front-load it and any request turns polite. It shows up in set formulas too - 请问 (qǐng wèn, “may I ask…”), 请等一下 (qǐng děng yíxià, “please wait a moment”). It never inflects.
- 别 is just 不要 squeezed into one syllable (不 + 要 -> 别). Reach for 别 in speech; you will meet 不要, or the formal 请勿 (qǐng wù), on printed signs and notices.
- The little 了 flips the meaning: 别哭 = “don’t cry (don’t start)”, but 别哭了 = “stop crying (you already are)”. Add 了 when the action is already happening.
- Tag 吧 (ba) on the end to downgrade an order to a suggestion: 走吧 (zǒu ba) = “let’s go” feels far gentler than a bare 走.