Language/French/Grammar/Easy-way-of-generating-the-imperative-mood
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An easy way of generating the imperative mood
Endings[edit | edit source]
For all verbs (with four exceptions - see below) take the second person singular tu form, the second person plural vous form and the first person plural nous form of the present tense, delete the subject and the final -s of any verb which ends in -es or -as.
Examples[edit | edit source]
For example:
Infinitive | Present tense | Imperative |
---|---|---|
donner | tu donnes | donne! |
vous donnez | donnez! | |
nous donnons | donnons! | |
aller | tu vas | va! |
vous allez | allez! | |
nous allons | allons! | |
finir | tu finis | finis! |
vous finissez | finissez! | |
nous finissons | finissons! | |
dormir | tu dors | dors! |
vous dormez | dormez! | |
nous dormons | dormons! | |
vendre | tu vends | vends! |
vous vendez | vendez! | |
nous vendons | vendons! | |
recevoir | tu reçois | reçois! |
vous recevez | recevez! | |
nous recevons | recevons! |
NB: The final -s which disappears from second person singular verbs ending in -es or -as reappears where the pronouns y or en follow the imperative:
Infinitive | Imperative | |
---|---|---|
aller | Va! | Vas-y! |
Parler | Parle! | Parles-en! |
Four exceptions:
Infinitive | Present tense | Imperative |
---|---|---|
être | tu es | sois! |
vous êtes | soyez! | |
nous sommes | soyons! | |
avoir | tu as | aie! |
vous avez | ayez! | |
nous avons | ayons! | |
savoir | tu sais | sache! |
vous savez | sachez! | |
nous savons | sachons.1 | |
vouloir | tu veux | veuille |
vous voulez | veuillez | |
nous voulons | not used |
(Both veuille and veuillez mean 'please'.)
NB: Although vouloir has irregular imperative forms, the related verb en vouloir à qn 'to hold a grudge against sb' has regular forms:
Present tense | Imperative |
---|---|
Tu ne lui en veux pas | Ne lui en veux pas! |
Vous ne lui en voulez pas | Ne lui en voulez pas! |
Nous ne lui en voulons pas | Ne lui en voulons pas! |
Videos[edit | edit source]
French Imperative Mood[edit | edit source]
French Imperative[edit | edit source]
Other Chapters[edit | edit source]
Other Lessons[edit | edit source]
- Use of en with numerals and quantifiers
- Use of neutral le where no equivalent exists in English
- Verbs with intransitive and transitive uses
- Plurals of nouns ending in –al
- Regular plurals in French
- The indirect object complement
- Emphasizing me, te, se, nous, vous by adding a pronoun + même
- Superlative forms of adjectives
- Irregular plurals for nouns ending in –ail
- Omission of the article in lists
- Position of y and en with negative infinitives
- Differences in the use of numbers in French and English hundreds thousands millions billions
- Differences in the use of numbers in French and English Ordinal number abbreviations
- Conjugation group 3
- Agreement of the past participle when using “avoir” with a preceding direct object