Imperatives in French

This section explains imperatives in French and includes tips for students studying foundation and higher tiers.

What is the Imperative?

The imperative is a verb form used to give orders, instructions, or suggestions. It is often used in commands, requests, and advice.

Key Points:

• Only used for the "tu," "nous," and "vous" forms: The imperative does not use the subject pronouns (je, il, elle, etc.).
• No subject pronoun: Unlike regular verb conjugation, you omit the subject pronoun (e.g., "tu" or "vous") in the imperative.
• Tone and context matter: The tone can change the meaning. It can sound formal, informal, polite, or very direct.

Formation of the Imperative:

To form the imperative, you use the present tense of the verb without the subject pronoun.

For regular verbs:

• -er verbs (e.g., parler - to speak):
  • Tu: Parle ! (Speak!)
  • Nous: Parlons ! (Let’s speak!)
  • Vous: Parlez ! (Speak! / You speak!)

Note: For -er verbs, the "tu" form drops the final -s in the imperative. (e.g., "Parles" becomes "Parle").

• -ir verbs (e.g., finir - to finish):
  • Tu: Finis ! (Finish!)
  • Nous: Finissons ! (Let’s finish!)
  • Vous: Finissez ! (Finish! / You finish!)
• -re verbs (e.g., vendre - to sell):
  • Tu: Vends ! (Sell!)
  • Nous: Vendons ! (Let’s sell!)
  • Vous: Vendez ! (Sell! / You sell!)

Irregular verbs: Some common verbs have irregular imperative forms:

• Être (to be):
  • Tu: Sois ! (Be!)
  • Nous: Soyons ! (Let’s be!)
  • Vous: Soyez ! (Be! / You be!)
• Avoir (to have):
  • Tu: Aie ! (Have!)
  • Nous: Ayons ! (Let’s have!)
  • Vous: Ayez ! (Have! / You have!)
• Savoir (to know):
  • Tu: Sache ! (Know!)
  • Nous: Sachons ! (Let’s know!)
  • Vous: Sachez ! (Know! / You know!)
• Faire (to do/make):
  • Tu: Fais ! (Do/Make!)
  • Nous: Faisons ! (Let’s do/make!)
  • Vous: Faites ! (Do/Make! / You do/make!)

Negative Imperative 

To make the imperative negative, you place ne and pas around the verb, as in other negative structures in French.

Example:

• Parle ! (Speak!) → Ne parle pas ! (Don’t speak!)
• Finis tes devoirs ! (Finish your homework!) → Ne finis pas tes devoirs ! (Don’t finish your homework!)

Key Point: The ne comes before the verb, and pas comes after the verb in the negative form.

Imperative with Reflexive Verbs

When you use reflexive verbs in the imperative (e.g., se laver - to wash oneself), you use a reflexive pronoun. In the affirmative, the reflexive pronoun comes after the verb and is linked with a hyphen.

Example:

• Lave-toi ! (Wash yourself!)
• Lavez-vous ! (Wash yourselves! / You wash yourself!)

In the negative imperative, the reflexive pronoun goes before the verb, and the ne and pas surround both.

Example:

• Ne te lave pas ! (Don’t wash yourself!)
• Ne vous lave pas ! (Don’t wash yourselves! / Don’t wash yourself!)

Imperatives with "Let’s" (Nous)

To make a suggestion or express a command with "let’s", you use the nous form of the verb in the imperative.

Example:

• Allons au cinéma ! (Let’s go to the cinema!)
• Faisons nos devoirs ! (Let’s do our homework!)

In the negative imperative:

• Ne parlons pas ! (Let’s not talk!)
• N’allons pas là ! (Let’s not go there!)

Common Uses of the Imperative:

Giving Orders:

• Mange tes légumes ! (Eat your vegetables!)
• Attends ici ! (Wait here!)

Making Suggestions:

• Regardons ce film ! (Let’s watch this film!)
• Essayons cette recette ! (Let’s try this recipe!)

Offering Advice:

• Prends ton temps ! (Take your time!)
• Ne t'inquiète pas ! (Don’t worry!)

Polite Requests:

• Veuillez patienter ! (Please wait!)
• Donne-moi ton livre, s'il vous plaît. (Give me your book, please.) (Note: This is more formal, used with "vous")

Higher Tier Examples (More Complex Use):

Using the imperative with object pronouns (Direct or Indirect):

• Donne-le-moi ! (Give it to me!)
• Explique-lui ! (Explain it to him/her!)

Using the imperative with pronouns "en" and "y":

• Va-y ! (Go there!)
• Prends-en ! (Take some!)

Formality: You can use the vous form for more formal situations, e.g., with strangers or superiors.

• Écoutez-moi ! (Listen to me! - formal)
• Soyez gentils ! (Be kind! - formal)

Summary

• The imperative is used to give commands, requests, and suggestions.
• The imperative is formed by using the present tense without the subject pronoun.
• Irregular verbs have unique forms in the imperative.
• In negative commands, use ne...pas around the verb.
• Reflexive verbs in the imperative require reflexive pronouns.
• The imperative can also be used with object pronouns (direct and indirect).