Giving commands

Level 1

The imperative (l'impératif) is the 'command' form. It only exists for 'tu', 'nous', and 'vous'. You simply drop the subject pronoun: 'Mange !' (Eat!) instead of 'Tu manges'.

How It Works

The imperative mood is essential for daily communication in French. It is used for:

  • Orders: Tais-toi ! (Be quiet!)
  • Advice: Prends un manteau. (Take a coat.)
  • Instructions: Tournez à droite. (Turn right.)
  • Invitations: Venez chez moi. (Come to my place.)

Formation Rules:
1. The imperative is based on the present indicative forms for tu, nous, and vous, but the subject pronoun is always dropped.
2. The -s Drop: For the tu form, remove the final -s from any verb that ends in -es or -as (like mange or ouvre) and the verb aller (which becomes va).

The 's' Return:
If a verb that dropped its 's' is followed by the pronoun y or pronoun en, the -s returns for pronunciation (e.g., Vas-y !). However, this does not happen if the pronoun belongs to a following infinitive (e.g., Va y faire un tour).

Irregular Verbs:
Four verbs use special stems: être (sois, soyons, soyez), avoir (aie, ayons, ayez), savoir (sache, sachons, sachez), and vouloir (where only veuillez is commonly used, acting as a formal "please" before an infinitive, e.g., Veuillez patienter).

Pronoun Rules:
1. Affirmative Commands: Pronouns follow the verb with a hyphen. Moi and toi are used instead of me and te (Regarde-moi !). If followed by en, they contract to m'en or t'en (Donne-m'en !).
2. Pronoun Order: In affirmative commands, the order is Verb – Direct – Indirect – y – en (e.g., Donne-le-moi !).
3. Negative Commands: Pronouns stay before the verb in their standard order with no hyphens (Ne me regarde pas !).
4. Reflexive Verbs: For pronominal verbs, the reflexive pronoun moves after the verb in affirmative commands (Lève-toi !) but stays before the verb in negative commands (Ne te lève pas !).

Examples (5)

  1. Mange tes légumes, s'il te plaît.

    Eat your vegetables, please.

    Word by Word: Eat your vegetables, if it you pleases.

    Notice that 'manges' loses its 's' because it is an -er verb in the 'tu' form.

  2. Finissons ce travail maintenant.

    Let's finish this work now.

    Word by Word: Finish (we) this work now.

    The 'nous' form of the imperative is used to say 'Let's...'

  3. Ne vous inquiétez pas, tout ira bien.

    Don't worry, everything will be fine.

    Word by Word: Not you worry not, all will go well.

    In negative commands, the pronouns stay before the verb.

  4. Veuillez patienter un instant.

    Please wait a moment.

    Word by Word: Want to wait a moment.

    The imperative of 'vouloir' is used as a very formal way to say 'please'.

  5. Sois sage à l'école !

    Be good at school!

    Word by Word: Be wise at the school!

    'Sois' is the irregular imperative form of 'être'.

Common Mistakes

  • Keeping the subject pronoun in the command.

    Tu mange ta pomme !
    Mange ta pomme !

    In the imperative, you must never include the subject pronoun (tu, nous, vous).

  • Forgetting to drop the -s for -er verbs in the 'tu' form.

    Parles plus fort !
    Parle plus fort !

    For -er verbs, the 's' from the present tense 'tu' form is dropped in the imperative.

  • Using 'te' instead of 'toi' in affirmative reflexive commands.

    Lève-te !
    Lève-toi !

    In affirmative commands, the reflexive pronoun 'te' changes to the stressed pronoun 'toi'.

How It Connects

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Giving commandsLevel 1

Learn This First

To form the imperative, you must first be comfortable with present tense conjugations for -er, -ir, and -re verbs, as the imperative uses these forms without the subject pronouns. You also need to understand the social distinction between 'tu' and 'vous' to address people correctly.

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Patterns that build on this one.