Meaning
Gives a direct instruction, often from someone senior to someone junior.
Formation
- Drop ます and add なさい: 読みます → 読みなさい
- Only downward: adult to child, teacher to student, exam instructions
When to use it
- Core use
- A firm instruction to do
Example
早く寝なさい
Go to bed early.
Important notes
- Pay attention to the word form before the construction and to the particles around it.
Common mistakes
- Do not translate the pattern word for word; first identify its function in the whole situation.