Imperative Sentence – 叫 jiào

Grammar Point:
Imperative Sentence – 叫 jiào can be used to give a command or instruction. It is similar to “have someone do…” or “tell someone to…” in English.

Structure

S + 叫 jiào + person + verb phrase

It’s used in spoken, everyday situations, often when someone tells or orders another person to do something.

媽媽māma叫jiào我wǒ去qù睡覺shuìjiào妈妈māma叫jiào我wǒ去qù睡觉shuìjiào
Mom told me to go to bed.

你nǐ叫jiào他tā來lái一下yíxià你nǐ叫jiào他tā来lái一下yíxià
Ask him to come over for a moment.

老師lǎoshī叫jiào學生xuéshēng做zuò功課gōngkè老师lǎoshī叫jiào学生xuésheng做zuò功课gōngkè
The teacher told the students to do homework.

媽媽māma叫jiào我wǒ把bǎ垃圾lèsè拿ná出去chūqù， 但dàn我wǒ假裝jiǎzhuāng沒méi聽見tīngjiàn妈妈māma叫jiào我wǒ把bǎ垃圾lājī拿ná出去chūqù， 但dàn我wǒ假装jiǎzhuāng没méi听见tīngjiàn
My mom told me to take out the trash, but I pretended not to hear.

她tā叫jiào男朋友nánpéngyǒu每天měitiān早上zǎoshàng買mǎi咖啡kāfēi給gěi她tā她tā叫jiào男朋友nánpéngyou每天měitiān早上zǎoshang买mǎi咖啡kāfēi给gěi她tā
She makes her boyfriend buy her coffee every morning.

老闆lǎobǎn叫jiào我wǒ週末zhōumò去qù上班shàngbān， 有yǒu病bìng吧ba！ 老板lǎobǎn叫jiào我wǒ周末zhōumò去qù上班shàngbān， 有yǒu病bìng吧ba！
My boss told me to come to work on the weekend, is he crazy?!

我wǒ沒méi叫jiào你nǐ騙piàn他tā我wǒ没méi叫jiào你nǐ骗piàn他tā
I didn’t tell you to lie to him.

是不是shìbúshì他tā叫jiào你nǐ這樣zhèyàng說shuō的de？是不是shìbúshì他tā叫jiào你nǐ这样zhèyàng说shuō的de？
Did he tell you to say it like this?

📌 叫 jiào: more neutral or direct, can sound like an order
📌 請 qǐng: more polite and softer
You can always replace 叫 jiào with 請 qǐng when it expresses a polite requests or invitations, not authority or control.

我wǒ叫jiào他tā來lái我wǒ叫jiào他tā来lái
I told him to come.

我wǒ請qǐng他tā來lái我wǒ请qǐng他tā来lái
I asked him to come. (more polite)

Other functions of 叫 jiào

1. Call / shout (make a sound)

小孩xiǎohái在zài叫jiào小孩xiǎohái在zài叫jiào
The child is shouting/crying out.

不要búyào叫jiào那麼nàme大聲dàshēng不要búyào叫jiào那么nàme大声dàshēng
Don’t shout so loudly.

2. Name something (give a name)

我wǒ叫jiàoTiffany我wǒ叫jiàoTiffany
My name is Tiffany.

這個zhège東西dōngxī叫jiào什麼shénme？这个zhège东西dōngxi叫jiào什么shénme？
What is this called?

3. Order / get (food, service)

我wǒ叫jiào了le一yì杯bēi咖啡kāfēi我wǒ叫jiào了le一yì杯bēi咖啡kāfēi
I ordered a coffee.

叫jiào外送wàisòng叫jiào外送wàisòng
Order delivery.

叫jiào車chē叫jiào车chē
Call a taxi / ride.