The directness of the imperative can be softened by adding a phrase like 一點 (y¯ıdi˘an/ a little bit) or 一下 (y¯ıxi`a/ once) at the end of a sentence.
→ 快一點 (ku`ai y¯ıdi˘an/ A bit quicker.)
An imperative command can also be softened by adding a verbal element like 請 (q˘ıng/ to invite) or 麻煩 (m´af´an/ to trouble) at the beginning of a sentence.
→ 請過來 (q˘ıng gu`o l´ai/ Please come.)
→ 麻煩過來一下 (m´af´an gu`o l´ai y¯ı-xi`a/ Could you come over once?)
Reference: Chinese: a linguistic introduction by Chao Fen Sun
