The imperative is often called the command mood, but it is also used to make requests. When you request, ask, or demand something, you are using the imperative. The imperative verb forms are used to give orders or advice, to urge strongly, and to exhort. It is a simple tense and has only one form, the present.

The conjugations of the imperative mood are fairly easy to master. Simply provide the appropriate endings and place an exclamation mark at the end for emphasis. Note that there are only five forms of the imperative: tu, Lei, noi, voi, and Loro, because you must address someone other than yourself. The tricky thing is that some affirmative commands (do!) are different than negative commands (don't!). The Everything Learning Italian Book

Tu in the Imperative

The tu form (informal, singular) is perhaps the most widely used form of the command; you are more likely to use the imperative with somebody you know well. As the tu subject suggests, it is used to give a command to one person you know quite well and whom you would normally address informally.

Table 13-8

Affirmative tu Commands