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Grammar detail: verb ろ / ~え form

verb ろ / ~え form
'command' imperative
243 words
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The standard imperative form, sometimes called the 'command imperative' form because it is the most abrupt form of imperative, is made by replacing the る of an verb with ろ, or the last character of a verb with the equivalent ~え character.
み
見
る
み
見
ろ
look!
い
行
く
い
行
け
go!
うし
後
ろ
を
み
見
ろ
。
Look behind you!
で
出
て
い
行
け
!
Get out!
The irregular verb する becomes しろ.
なに
何
か
おお
大
きな
ことをしろと
かれ
彼
は
むすこ
息子
を
げきれい
激励
した
。
He encouraged his son to do something great.
The negative imperative form is the same for both verb types - just add な to the plain form.
た
食
べる
た
食
べるな
don't eat!
はし
走
る
はし
走
るな
don't run!
ふと
太
い
じ
字
で
か
書
く
な。
Don't write it in thick letters!
The imperative form is a staple of manga and yakuza literature, but you are unlikely to encounter it in daily life, and it is not a form you should use yourself without caution!
Exceptions and alternatives
Other shortened forms of verbs are often used in place of this imperative form.
One common example is ちょっと
ま
待
って, which means 'wait!'. This is actually not the imperative of 待つ, which would be 待て (without the 'っ') - it is an abbreviation of 待ってください (please wait), so although the ください is missing, it is actually a little politer than a 'command'. In fact, it is even more common to hear ちょっと待ってて, which is an abbreviated form of the progressive 待っていて(again missing the ください), which is softer still.
Another common example is くれ, which is the て stem form (ie, the て form くれて without the て) - this is much more common than the actual imperative form くれろ. For more details see:
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Kanji used in this grammar

一
イチ   イツ   ひとつ    ひと- one   
段
ダン    grade, step, stairs   
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五
ゴ   いつ-    いつつ five   
見
ケン   みる to see   みえる to be seen; to appear   みせる to show   
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行
コウ   ギョウ   アン   ゆく    いく to go   おこなう to take place   
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食
ショク   ジキ    food   たべる to eat   くう to eat   
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走
ソウ   はしる run   
待
タイ   まつ to wait   
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後
ゴ   コウ   のち    あと afterwards   うしろ behind   おくれる be late   
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出
シュツ   スイ   だす to take out, to put out   でる to go out, to exit   
何
カ   なに    なん what?   
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大
ダイ   タイ   おおきい big   おおいに very much   おお-    
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彼
ヒ   かれ he   
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息
ソク   いき breath   
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子
シ   ス   こ child   
激
ゲキ   はげしい violent   
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励
レイ   はげます to encourage   はげむ to strive   
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太
タ   タイ   ふとい fat   ふとる to get fat, to put on weight   
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字
ジ   character   あざ village section   
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書
ショ   かく to write   
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