The verb form that is given in the vocabulary sections of YiddishPOP is the infinitive. You already know this form from the construction לאָמיר + infinitive (see lesson 1.2).
The infinitive consists of the base form of the verb with the ending ן- or ען- (see also 2.3 נאָך פּרטים).
| Infinitive |
Base Form |
לױפֿן
loyfn
|
לױף
loyf |
עסן
esn
|
עס
es |
שפּרינגען
shpringen
|
שפּרינג
shpring |
קומען
kumen
|
קום
kum |
-
מאָבי, מאירקע, קומט!
Moby, Meyerke, kumt!
Moby, Meyerke, come!
-
מאירקע, שפּרינג...איצט!
Meyerke, shpring...itst!
Meyerke, jump...now!
-
גײט אַ ביסל...און לױפֿט!
Geyt a bisl...un loyft!
Walk a little...and run!
In these sentences קומט, שפּרינג, גײט, לױפֿט (kumt, shpring, geyt, loyft) are commands, or imperatives.
The imperative has two forms, singular and plural. The singular imperative is simply the base form of the verb. The plural imperative is the base form plus ט-.
| Infinitive |
Singular Imperative |
Plural Imperative |
לױפֿן
loyfn
|
לױף
loyf |
לױפֿט
loyft
|
עסן
esn
|
עס
es |
עסט
est
|
שפּרינגען
shpringen
|
שפּרינג
shpring |
שפּרינגט
shpringt
|
קומען
kumen
|
קום
kum |
קומט
kumt
|
Irregular Imperatives
The imperatives of the verbs in the table below do not match the general pattern. Remember them!
| Infinitive |
Singular Imperative |
Plural Imperative |
געבן*
gebn |
גיב
gib |
גיט
git |
טאָן**
ton |
טו
tu |
טוט
tut |
זײַן***
zayn |
זײַ
zay |
זײַט
zayt |
האָבן
hobn |
האָב
hob |
האָט
hot |
* You know this verb from the idioms גיב מיר in lesson 1.3 and and גיב אַ קוק in lesson 1.5.
** You will learn the verb טאָן in the next lesson, 2.2.
*** זײַן does not match the general pattern because in all other verbs, the base form/singular imperative is identical with the first person singular (איך) form of the present tense. This is not the case for זײַ - איך בין.
