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HSK 1 Sentence Types: Imperative Sentences (祈使句)
Imperative sentences (祈使句, qíshǐjù) are used to ask, urge, invite, or forbid someone to do something. At HSK Level 1, they range from direct classroom instructions to polite requests using 请 (qǐng), friendly suggestions ending in 吧 (ba), and prohibitions using 不要 (búyào) or 别 (bié).
请坐。
A polite, everyday imperative where 请 (qǐng) softens the single verb 坐 (zuò) and the subject 你 (nǐ) is naturally omitted.
Read the full explanation and examples
What Is an Imperative Sentence (祈使句)?
In the official HSK Level 1 grammar syllabus, imperative sentences (祈使句, qíshǐjù) appear as a core functional sentence category alongside declarative, interrogative, and exclamatory sentences. While a declarative sentence states a fact and an interrogative sentence asks for information, an imperative sentence aims to prompt or prevent an action from the listener.
Despite the grammatical name, imperative sentences are rarely harsh orders in everyday communication. Depending on the words you add and your tone of voice, an imperative sentence can serve as a polite invitation, a gentle piece of advice, a classroom instruction, a shared suggestion, or a warning. In Chinese, the subject—usually 你 (nǐ, you), 您 (nín, polite you), or 你们 (nǐmen, plural you)—is frequently left out when the context makes it obvious who is being addressed.
看黑板。
A direct, unsoftened instruction typical of a teacher guiding students' attention in a classroom.
Bare verb phrases without softening words sound brisk and direct. They are natural in concise instructions, such as a teacher guiding a class. In other situations, tone, the relationship between speakers and added polite markers help determine how the words are received.
Polite Requests and Invitations with 请 (qǐng)
Place 请 (qǐng, “please”) before the requested action. 请坐 and 请你坐 are common patterns; a subject may also precede 请, as in 您请坐. The examples below practise the concise 请 + action form.
请坐。
A polite, everyday imperative where 请 (qǐng) softens the single verb 坐 (zuò) and the subject 你 (nǐ) is naturally omitted.
请喝茶。
Used by a host to invite a guest to drink tea; 请 (qǐng) turns the verb-object phrase into a warm offer.
Notice that in English, the word please can easily move to the end of a sentence. In Chinese, 请 (qǐng) does not go at the end of a request; it stays at the front before the verb phrase.
Suggestions and Softened Prompts with 吧 (ba)
When you want to suggest a course of action, encourage someone to go ahead with something, or include yourself in a proposal (equivalent to English let's), place the modal particle 吧 (ba) at the very end of the sentence. Adding 吧 takes the sharp edge off a bare verb phrase and invites the listener's agreement.
我们走吧。
Using 我们 (wǒmen, we) as the subject with final particle 吧 (ba) creates an inclusive suggestion for both speaker and listener.
你吃饭吧。
Without 吧 (ba), this could look like a flat statement about a habit; with 吧 at the end, it encourages the listener to start eating now.
Prohibitions and Negative Commands: 不要 (búyào) and 别 (bié)
For a clear everyday prohibition, put 不要 (búyào) or 别 (bié) before the action: both mean “do not”. 不要 works in speech and notices, while 别 is especially common in conversation. Tone and context determine how firm either sounds. These are useful beginner choices, not the only possible Chinese ways of giving a negative instruction.
不要说话。
A standard negative imperative using 不要 (búyào) before the verb phrase to prohibit an action.
别看手机。
Uses 别 (bié) for a natural spoken reminder or piece of advice not to do something.
Crucial Contrasts: Commands vs. Statements
Because Chinese verbs do not change their form for tense or mood, the exact same verb phrase can appear in a statement, a question, or an imperative sentence. You tell them apart by three things: whether a subject is stated, which particles or negation words are present, and the surrounding context.
- Positive statement vs. suggestion: Adding 吧 (ba) shifts a factual description of what someone does into a prompt or suggestion to do it now.
- Habitual negation vs. prohibition: 我不说话 can state what I do not do. 别说话 and 不要说话 clearly tell someone not to speak. A concise 不说话 can also act as a rule or directive in a suitable context, so meaning is not determined by the negation word alone.
- Punctuation clue in reading: Written imperative sentences end with either a period (。) when the tone is calm and polite, or an exclamation mark (！) when the command or warning is urgent.
Compare an explicit everyday prohibition with a shorter directive used as a classroom rule:
在教室里，不说话！
A teacher or rule can use this concise form as a directive in context. For a clear, general-purpose request to a listener, 在教室里，不要说话 or 别说话 is easier for a beginner to use. Plain 不 is not prohibited from every kind of instruction.
The same words can have different functions in context: 我不说话 usually states something about the speaker, while a teacher’s 不说话！ can direct a class to be quiet. To make your own prohibition unmistakable, practise 不要说话 and 别说话.
Frequently asked questions
Do I always have to leave out 你 (nǐ, you) in an imperative sentence?
No. While omitting 你 (nǐ) is very common when the listener is obvious—especially after 请 (qǐng)—you can keep 你, 您 (nín), or 你们 (nǐmen) when you want to single out who should act, or when making a gentle suggestion with 吧 (ba). Including 我们 (wǒmen, we) is also standard when saying 'let's do something'.
Can I combine 请 (qǐng) with 不要 (búyào) or 别 (bié)?
Yes. Placing 请 (qǐng) before 不要 (búyào) or 别 (bié)—for example, putting 请 before 不要说话—makes a negative command or prohibition sound much more polite and public-facing, similar to 'Please do not speak' in English.
Does a Chinese imperative sentence always need an exclamation mark?
No. A full stop is common for a calm request, while an exclamation mark can express stronger emphasis, urgency or enthusiasm. 请坐！ can be a warm invitation; punctuation alone does not decide whether a sentence is polite or an imperative.
