L’impératif – The Imperative in French
What is l’impératif?
L’impératif or the imperative tense as called in English is a mood in French grammar used to give commands, make requests, or offer advice. It’s used to express direct commands or requests to someone, either singularly or in a group. In French, verbs in the imperative mood usually have different forms depending on whether they’re addressing one person (tu), multiple people (vous/nous), or the polite form (vous) used to address someone formally or with respect.
The conjugation for imperative generally corresponds to the present tense forms, with some exceptions and irregular verbs. It’s important to note that the subject pronouns (tu, nous, vous) are omitted in the imperative mood. We end imperative sentences with an exclamation (!)
Let’s see some examples of how to use the imperative in French and then put your knowledge to the test with the free exercises given below.
For example:
- mange! Eat (informal singular)
- mangez! (vous) – Eat (formal singular/plural)
- Client: Montez le T-Shirts ! – You (formal) show me the T-Shirts.
- Vendeuse: Voilà les T-Shirts de votre taille. – Here are the T-Shirts in your size
- Client: Où sont les salles d’essayage? – Where are the changing rooms?
- Vendeuse: Venez-ici! – Come here
- Client: Je prends ça. – I’ll take these.
- Vendeuse: Payez ici s’il vous plaît ! – You pay here please
Usage
The imperative mood is used in various situations in which you want to give commands, make requests, or offer advice. Here are some common situations when the imperative mood is used:
- Giving Commands: When you want to tell someone to do something directly.
- Example: Ferme la porte.- Close the door.
- Making Requests: When you want to ask someone to do something politely.
- Example: Veuillez m’excuser.- Please excuse me.
- Offering Advice or Instructions: When you want to offer advice or instructions.
- Example: Étudie bien pour l’examen.- Study hard for the exam.
- Instructions for Recipes, Manuals, Signs, etc.: Imperatives are commonly used in instructions found in recipes, manuals, signs, and other written materials.
- Example: Mélangez les ingrédients.- Mix the ingredients.
- Expressing Prohibitions or Warnings: Imperatives can also be used to express prohibitions or warnings.
- Example: Ne touchez pas.- Do not touch.
- Invitations or Suggestions: Sometimes, imperatives are used to invite or suggest actions.
- Example: Asseyez-vous. – Please sit down.
Remember that the imperative mood is used for direct commands and requests, so it’s important to consider the context and tone when using it. The choice between using tu (informal singular), vous (formal singular/plural), or nous (let’s) depends on the relationship between the speaker and the listener(s) as well as the level of formality. At times, we include ourselves into the command by using the imperative in the first-person plural form (nous). This is similar to the English “let’s” followed by the infinitive.(Let’s do it!)
Conjugation
The conjugation of verbs in the imperative mood in French varies depending on whether you’re addressing one person (tu), multiple people (vous), or using the first-person plural form (nous).
- Tu (Second person singular):
- The tu form of the imperative is usually the same as the present tense form of the verb but without the subject pronoun.
- For regular verbs(‘er’ verbs), remove the -s from the tu in the present tense form.
Example:
- Parler (to speak):
- Tu parles (present tense) -> Parle ! (imperative)
- Manger (to eat):
- Tu manges (present tense) -> Mange! (imperative)
The final ‘-s’ is dropped only for ‘er’ verbs. For all remaining verbs it is used as it is.
- finir (to finish):
- Tu finis (present tense) -> Finis! (imperative)
- Prendre (to take):
- Tu prends (present tense) -> Prends ! (imperative)
2. Vous (Second person plural)
The vous form of the imperative is the same as the present tense conjugation, but without the subject pronoun.
- For regular verbs, use the present tense conjugation of vous.
Example:
- Parler (to speak):
- Vous parlez (present tense) -> Parlez ! (imperative)
- Manger (to eat):
- Vous mangez (present tense) -> Mangez ! (imperative)
- finir (to finish):
- Vous finissez (present tense) -> Finissez ! (imperative)
- Prendre (to take):
- Vous prenez (present tense) -> Prenez ! (imperative)
3. Nous (First person plural):
The nous form of the imperative is created by taking the first-person plural (nous) present tense form of the verb. The subject pronoun (nous) is omitted. This form is used to suggest that the speaker and the listener(s) do something together.
Example:
- Parler (to speak):
- Nous parlons (present tense) -> Parlons! (impérative)
- Manger (to eat):
- Nous mangeons (present tense) -> Mangeons!(impérative)
- finir (to finish):
- Nous finissons (present tense) -> Finissons ! (imperative)
- Prendre (to take):
- Nous prenons (present tense) -> Prenons ! (imperative)
Stressed Pronouns
In French, when using stressed pronouns (moi, toi, lui, elle, nous, vous, eux, elles), the imperative is formed by adding the pronoun after the verb, connected by a hyphen.
Example:
- Moi (me): Parle-moi! – Speak to me, Regarde-moi !- Look at me
- Toi (you): Parle-toi! – Speak to yourself, Regarde-toi! – Look at yourself
- Lui (him/it), Elle (her/it): Parle-lui – Speak to him/her, Regarde-lui – Look at him/her
- Nous (us): Parlons-nous – Let’s speak to each other, Regardons-nous-Let’s look at each other
- Vous (you): Parlez-vous – Speak to yourselves, Regardez-vous – Look at yourselves
- Eux (them), Elles (them): Parlez-leur -Speak to them, Regardez-les – Look at them
Pronominal Verbs
When conjugating pronominal verbs (verbs that are accompanied by reflexive pronouns), the imperative mood follows a specific pattern in French. The imperative mood retains the reflexive pronouns, which are necessary for conveying the reflexive action. To form a positive imperative with a pronominal verb the reflexive pronouns te, vous, nous, are added to the end of the conjugated as stressed pronouns (toi, vous, nous).
Example:
- Se lever (to get up): Lève-toi ! – Get up!
- Se laver (to wash oneself): Lave-toi les mains! – Wash your hands!
- Se promener (to take a walk): Promenez-vous! – Take a walk!
- Se amuser (enjoy oneself): Amusons-nous – Let’s enjoy!
Negation in Pronominal Verbs
When negating pronominal verbs in the imperative mood in French, you generally place the ne…pas (or other negation words like ne…plus, ne…jamais, etc.) around the reflexive pronoun and the verb which is different from how we did above in affirmative commands.
Example:
- Ne te lève pas ! -Don’t get up!
- Ne vous promenez pas ! – Don’t take a walk!
- Ne nous lavons pas – Let’s not wash ourselves!
Exceptions in the Imperative
Some verbs have an irregular imperative form.
| Infinitive | Imperative |
| avoir | aie, ayons, ayez |
| être | sois, soyons, soyez |
| savoir | sache, sachons, sachez |
| vouloir | veuille, veuillons, veuillez |
If the adverbial pronoun y comes after an imperative that ends with a vowel, we add an -s to the imperative verb to make pronunciation easier. So in the tu form, the -ER verbs will have their original -s in front of y.
Example:
- Manges-y ! – Eat there!
- Marches-y ! – Walk there!
- Vas-y ! – Go there!
- Regardes-y! – See there!
Crème Brûlée – A Classic French Dessert
Crème brûlée, with its delicate combination of creamy custard and caramelized sugar, is a dessert that epitomizes indulgence and sophistication. Originating from France, this classic dessert has captured the hearts and palates of food enthusiasts worldwide.
At its core, crème brûlée is a simple yet elegant dessert consisting of a smooth, silky custard base made from egg yolks, cream, sugar, and vanilla. The custard is carefully cooked to achieve a luxuriously creamy texture that melts in the mouth with each spoonful. Its velvety richness is often contrasted with the crisp, brittle layer of caramelized sugar that crowns the dessert.
The magic of crème brûlée lies in the contrast between the smoothness of the custard and the crackle of the caramelized sugar. Achieving the perfect brûlée on top requires precision and finesse. A thin layer of sugar is evenly sprinkled over the surface of the custard and then caramelized using a culinary torch or broiler until it forms a golden-brown crust. (bruler-to burn)
Serving crème brûlée is a theatrical experience. As the spoon breaks through the caramelized sugar crust, it reveals the luscious custard underneath, releasing a tantalizing aroma of vanilla and caramel. Each bite is a symphony of flavors—a harmonious blend of sweet and creamy with subtle hints of vanilla dancing on the palate.
While traditional vanilla crème brûlée is a timeless favorite, chefs and home cooks alike often experiment with variations, incorporating flavors such as chocolate, coffee, citrus, or spices to add depth and complexity to the dessert. Regardless of the flavor variations, the essence of crème brûlée remains the same—a celebration of luxurious simplicity and exquisite taste.
Exercise:
- Tu (manger) tes légumes
- Nous (courir) dans notre jardin
- Tu (finir) tes devoirs
- Vous (parler) moi de ta journée
- Tu (avoir) une bonne santé
- Tu (se lèver) tôt pour aller à l’école
- Nous (s’habiller)
- Nous (se promener) dans le jardin
- Nous (ne se promener) dans le jardin
- Vous (savoir) la vérité
- Vous (être) vous-même
- Tu (aller) au cinéma
- Tu (aller) there
- Tu (se laver)
- Tu (ne se laver)
- Nous (se laver)
- Vous (se laver)
- Tu ( laver) la voiture
- Tu (laver)
- Nous (s’asseoir) sur le banc
- Vous ( ne s’asseoir) sur la pelouse
- Tu (ne se maquiller)
- Vous (se dépêcher)
