命令形 details
Examples
a bare order, downward or between intimates — blunt, and male-coded in ordinary speech
早くしろよ、電車に遅れるぞ。
hayaku shiro yo, densha ni okureru zo.
Get a move on, we'll miss the train. casual
うるさいな、ちょっと黙れ。
urusai na, chotto damare.
You're being loud — pipe down a second. casual
signs, slogans and machine instructions — no listener to be rude to, so the register is neutral
交差点の手前に、大きく「止まれ」と書いてある。
kousaten no temae ni, ookiku tomare to kaite aru.
Just before the intersection, STOP is painted in large letters. neutral
shouted encouragement or emergency — urgency licenses the bluntness, and anyone may use it
あと少しだ、頑張れ！
ato sukoshi da, ganbare!
Nearly there — keep going! casual
危ない、逃げろ！
abunai, nigero!
Look out — run! casual
quoted inside a report — the ordinary way to relay an order, whatever the reporter's own manners
係員に、白線の内側まで下がれと言われました。
kakariin ni, hakusen no uchigawa made sagare to iwaremashita.
An attendant told me to step back behind the white line. neutral
Formation
命令形（書け・食べろ・しろ・来い）attaches to verb stem (special attachment)
Notes
altogether — なさい, てください, or お＋stem＋ください. Watch the な: on the
ます-stem it urges (食べな), on the dictionary form it forbids (食べるな).
One 一段 verb refuses ろ: not ×くれろ — くれ.
Related patterns
Similar
なさい keeps a caring adult behind the order and stays in the home, the classroom and the exam paper; the bare imperative has no warmth in it at all, and in ordinary speech it is male-coded, where なさい is not.
てください asks and can be turned down; the imperative leaves no room to answer, which is why a sign that must be obeyed on the spot reads 止まれ while one asking for cooperation reads お待ちください.
手伝ってくれと言われた reports an order that also claimed a favor from the speaker; 手伝えと言われた reports the order alone, which is why the てくれ version can carry a plea and the bare one cannot.
Opposite
- 〜なprohibition
One mood's two poles, attached differently — the imperative rebuilds the verb class by class (書け・食べろ・しろ) while な hangs off the dictionary form untouched; on the ます-stem the same kana urges instead（食べな "go on, eat" against 食べるな "don't"）.
Combines with
The quotation is where the imperative survives in polite speech — 出せと言われました reports it as the order it was, whatever politeness the original wore, without the reporter taking on any of its bluntness.