Language/French/Grammar/Imperatives

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Imperatives in French
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Ah, the imperative in French grammar! One of the most useful tools in any French speaker's arsenal. It's a tense that can be used to give commands, make requests, and even offer advice. In this lesson, we'll explore everything you need to know about using the imperative in French.

First, let's talk about what the imperative is. In French, the imperative is a tense used to give commands, requests, or advice. Unlike other tenses, it doesn't have subject pronouns, which means that the verb form changes depending on the subject.

To form the imperative in French, you need to use the present tense of the verb, but without the subject pronoun. For example, "tu manges" (you eat) becomes "mange!" (eat!) in the imperative.

Imperative of Common French Verbs[edit | edit source]

Here are the imperative forms of some common verbs in French:

Manger (to eat)[edit | edit source]

  • Mange! (eat!)
  • Mangeons! (let's eat!)
  • Mangez! (eat! - formal)

Aller (to go)[edit | edit source]

  • Va! (go!)
  • Allons! (let's go!)
  • Allez! (go! - formal)

Être (to be)[edit | edit source]

  • Sois! (be!)
  • Soyons! (let's be!)
  • Soyez! (be! - formal)

Advice[edit | edit source]

Now, let's talk about some important things to keep in mind when using the imperative in French.

  1. Use the appropriate form for the subject. As mentioned earlier, the verb form changes depending on the subject. "Mange!" is the imperative form for "tu manges," but "mangez!" is the imperative form for "vous mangez."
  2. Use the negative form for negative commands. To give a negative command in French, you need to use the imperative form of the verb "ne" followed by the appropriate verb form. For example, "ne mange pas!" (don't eat!) is the negative imperative form of "tu manges."
  3. Use the pronoun "y" for commands involving location. When giving a command that involves a location, such as "go there," use the pronoun "y." For example, "vas-y!" (go there!) is the imperative form of "tu vas là-bas."
  4. Use the reflexive pronoun for reflexive verbs. If you're using a reflexive verb, such as "se laver" (to wash oneself), use the appropriate reflexive pronoun in the imperative form. For example, "lave-toi!" (wash yourself!) is the imperative form of "tu te laves."
  5. Use the infinitive form for "let's" commands. To give a "let's" command in French, use the first person plural (nous) form of the verb in the infinitive. For example, "manger" becomes "mangeons!" (let's eat!).
Table of Contents

Nouns


Determiners


Personal and impersonal pronouns


Adjectives


Adverbs


Numbers, measurements, time and quantifiers


Verb forms


Verb constructions


Verb and participle agreement


Tense


The subjunctive, modal verbs, exclamatives and imperatives


The infinitive


Prepositions


Question formation


Relative clauses


Negation


Conjunctions and other linking constructions

Videos[edit | edit source]

French Lesson 75 - LEARN FRENCH - IMPERATIVE MOOD - L ...[edit | edit source]

L'impératif (Part-1) ! How to form imperatives in French - YouTube[edit | edit source]

French imperative tense: Commands - YouTube[edit | edit source]

The French IMPERATIVE Tense explained! Full lesson ...[edit | edit source]

Other Lessons[edit | edit source]

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