Mon Français

Introduction

The imperative is a verbal mood used to give orders, advice, instructions or make requests. It is conjugated only in three persons: the 2nd person singular (tu), the 1st person plural (nous) and the 2nd person plural (vous).

Important: In the imperative, we don't use subject pronouns (tu, nous, vous).

The Imperative of Group I Verbs (verbs ending in -er)

To form the imperative of first group verbs, we use the present indicative forms, with one important exception:

Special rule: At the 2nd person singular (tu), we remove the final "s".

Formation:

Usage examples:

• Regarde ce magnifique paysage ! (Look at this magnificent landscape!) (tu)
• Écoute attentivement les instructions. (Listen carefully to the instructions.) (tu)
• Travaillons ensemble sur ce projet ! (Let's work together on this project!) (nous)
• Jouons au football cet après-midi ! (Let's play football this afternoon!) (nous)
• Fermez la porte, s'il vous plaît. (Close the door, please.) (vous)
• Mangez sainement et faites du sport. (Eat healthily and exercise.) (vous)

Special case: -er verbs before "en" and "y"

When a first group verb is followed by "en" or "y", we keep the "s" at the 2nd person singular to facilitate pronunciation:

• Parle ! → Parles-en à ton professeur ! (Talk about it to your teacher!)
• Va ! → Vas-y maintenant ! (Go ahead now!)
• Mange ! → Manges-en un peu ! (Eat some!)

The Imperative of Group II Verbs (verbs ending in -ir like finir)

Second group verbs follow the same rule as first group verbs, but keep their characteristic endings.

Formation:

Usage examples:

• Finis tes devoirs avant de sortir. (Finish your homework before going out.) (tu)
• Réfléchis bien avant de prendre ta décision. (Think carefully before making your decision.) (tu)
• Remplissons ce formulaire ensemble. (Let's fill out this form together.) (nous)
• Réussissons cet examen ! (Let's pass this exam!) (nous)
• Choisissez votre menu, s'il vous plaît. (Choose your menu, please.) (vous)
• Applaudissez les artistes ! (Applaud the artists!) (vous)

The Imperative of Group III Verbs (irregular verbs)

Third group verbs are irregular and each has its own conjugation. Here are the most common verbs:

Very frequent verbs:

Usage examples:

• Sois patient avec lui. (Be patient with him.) (tu)
• Aie confiance en toi ! (Have confidence in yourself!) (tu)
• Va chercher le pain, s'il te plaît. (Go get the bread, please.) (tu)
• Fais attention sur la route. (Be careful on the road.) (tu)
• Viens me voir demain. (Come see me tomorrow.) (tu)
• Soyons responsables. (Let's be responsible.) (nous)
• Allons au cinéma ce soir ! (Let's go to the movies tonight!) (nous)
• Faisons de notre mieux. (Let's do our best.) (nous)
• Soyez prudents sur la route ! (Be careful on the road!) (vous)
• Prenez votre temps. (Take your time.) (vous)
• Dites-moi la vérité. (Tell me the truth.) (vous)

The Negative Imperative

To form the negative imperative, we place "ne" before the verb and "pas" after the verb:

• Ne parle pas trop fort ! (Don't speak too loudly!)
• Ne finis pas trop tard. (Don't finish too late.)
• Ne sois pas inquiet. (Don't be worried.)
• Ne parlons pas de cela. (Let's not talk about that.)
• N'oubliez pas vos affaires. (Don't forget your things.)
• Ne faites pas de bruit. (Don't make noise.)

Pronouns with the Imperative

The position of pronouns changes depending on whether the imperative is affirmative or negative:

Affirmative Imperative:

Pronouns are placed AFTER the verb and linked by a hyphen:

• Regarde-le ! (Look at it/him!)
• Écoute-moi ! (Listen to me!)
• Donne-lui ton livre. (Give him/her your book.)
• Parlez-en ! (Talk about it!)
• Vas-y ! (Go ahead!)

Note: "me" and "te" become "moi" and "toi" after the verb.

Negative Imperative:

Pronouns are placed BEFORE the verb:

• Ne le regarde pas ! (Don't look at it/him!)
• Ne m'écoute pas ! (Don't listen to me!)
• Ne lui donne pas ton livre. (Don't give him/her your book.)
• N'en parlez pas ! (Don't talk about it!)
• N'y va pas ! (Don't go there!)

Polite Formulations

To be polite, we can use:

• S'il te plaît / S'il vous plaît (please): Ferme la fenêtre, s'il te plaît. (Close the window, please.)
• Veuillez (polite imperative): Veuillez patienter un instant. (Please wait a moment.)
• Questions instead of orders: Tu peux fermer la fenêtre ? (Can you close the window?)

Interactive Exercise

Summary of Endings

Important points to remember:

• No subject pronouns in the imperative
• Verbs ending in -er: no "s" at the 2nd person singular (except before "en" and "y")
• 3rd group verbs are irregular and must be learned individually
• Position of pronouns: after the verb in affirmative, before the verb in negative
• "Veuillez" is the polite form of the imperative for asking something