In Inuktut, you can tell someone to do something, or indicate something that you would like to happen by using an imperative verb ending.
-git is the verb ending used when you are speaking to one person:
| niri- | to eat |
| nirigit ! | Eat! |
| qai- | to come |
| qaigit ! | Come here! |
-git can be added directly to roots ending in vowels. When it is added to roots ending in -k or -t, it deletes the final consonant:
| tupak- | to wake up |
| tupagit ! | Wake up! |
| ingit- | to sit down |
| ingigit | Please, sit down. |
With roots that end in -q, use -rit instead:
| ulluq + qaq + ttiaq- | to read |
| ulluqattiarit ! | Have a good day! |
-gittik / -rittik is the verb ending used when talking to two people:
| qaigittik ! | Come here (you two)! |
| tupagittik ! | Wake up (you two)! |
| ulluqattiarittik ! | Have a good day (you two)! |
-gitsi / -ritsi is the verb ending used when talking to three or more people:
| qaigitsi ! | Come here (all of you)! |
| tupagitsi ! | Wake up (all of you)! |
| ulluqattiaritsik ! | Have a good day (all of you)! |
When telling someone to do something, there is often an object or another person involved. In which, case we use different endings:
| qai- | to come |
| qaigit | Come here! |
| qaiguk | Bring it here! |
like -git, the first letter of -guk changes to r- when added to a stem ending in -q:
| qiniq- | to look for something |
| qiniruk | Go look for it! |
Finally, if you are talking about more than one object, the affix you use changes:
| qaiguk | Bring it here! |
| qaikkik | Bring them (2) here! |
| qaikkit | Bring them (3+) here! |