命令形
Imperative form — strong commands (行け、読め)machine translation
FormationGroup I: う-row → え-row; group II: drop る + ろ; する → しろ、来る → 来い
The imperative form is the strongest, bluntest way to give an order in Japanese: 行け! (go!), 読め! (read!). Because it's so forceful, in daily life it appears only in a few situations: emergencies (逃げろ! — run!), sports cheering (頑張れ!), signs and drill commands, or a superior yelling at a subordinate. You need to recognize it when you hear it; when making requests, use 〜てください as you learned at N5, or 〜なさい.
Conjugation: group I shifts the final sound from the う-row to the え-row: 行く → 行け, 読む → 読め, 買う → 買え. Group II drops る and adds ろ: 食べる → 食べろ, 見る → 見ろ. Group III: する → しろ, 来る → 来い (こい).
The imperative form also appears frequently in quoted speech with と言う: 「早く寝ろ」と言われました (I was told, "go to bed right now"). The corresponding prohibition — dictionary form + な — is covered in the next lesson.
Examples
危ない！早く逃げろ！
Danger! Run, quick!
父に「早く寝ろ」と言われました。
My dad told me, "Go to bed right now."
試合のとき、みんなで「頑張れ」と言いました。
During the match, we all shouted "Ganbare!" ("Go for it!").