Edited by Alita, LisaDK, Writelf, BR and 4 others
The imperative is the command form; it's when we tell or ask somebody to do something. In French, the imperative is formed from the second person singular or -tu form of the present tense, and also from the second person polite/plural -vous form, again of the present tense. It also includes the form "let's do..." which is represented by the first person plural or -nous form of the present tense, without the pronoun -nous. With some practice, you'll be able to properly use the imperative command form in French.
1When using verbs that contain infinitives ending in -er, we remove the final letter "s" from the -tu form of the present tense for the imperative, unless it is followed by the pronouns -y or -en. Here are some examples:
- Regarde; (Look) (To those you would normally address as "tu")
- Regardons; (Let's look)
- Regardez; (Look) (To those you would normally address as "vous")
2There are three verbs that are irregular in the imperative, taking their imperative from the present subjunctive form. For example:
- Etre (To be): Sois, Soyons, Soyez. (Ex; "Sois sage" means "Be good".)
- Avoir (To have): Aie, Ayons, Ayez. (Ex; "Ayons de la patience" means "Let's have patience".)
- Savoir (To know): Sache, Sachons, Sachez. (Ex; "Sachez vos amis" means "Know your friends".)
3When you want to form the negative imperative form, simply put -ne in front of the imperative and -pas or an alternative after it. For example:
- Ne va pas au parc. (Don't go to the park.)
- Ne mangeons plus de viande. (Let's not eat any more meat.)
- N'oubliez jamais ce que je vous ai dit. (Never forget what I have told you.)
4When using object pronouns with the imperative, the pronouns follow the verb and are hyphenated. Some examples:
- Donne-le-lui! (Give it to him!)
- Achetons-en. (Let's buy some.)
- Vas-y. (Go there.) Remember the letter "s" is kept when followed by -y or -en.
- Parlez-moi! (Speak to me!) Notice the emphatic "moi" is used rather than "me"; -toi would be used instead of -te.
5However, with the negative imperative, the pronouns will precede verb, as in these examples:
- Ne lui dites rien. (Don't tell him anything.)
- Ne nous oubliez jamais. (Never forget us.)
- Ne leur en donne pas. (Don't give them any (of it).)
- N'y va plus. (Don't go there any more.)
- Ne le prenons pas. (Let's not take it.)
6With reflexive verbs, the reflexive pronoun follows the imperative, and -te changes to -toi. For example:
- Habille-toi vite! (Get dressed quickly!)
- Promenons-nous dans les bois. (Let's go for a walk in the woods.)
- Couchez-vous, les enfants. (Go to bed, children.)
7Just as we saw earlier with object pronouns, however, in the negative imperative of reflexive verbs, the reflexive pronoun precedes the verb, and -te is used, not -toi. Here are a few examples:
- Ne te blesse pas. (Don't hurt yourself.)
- Ne nous trompons pas. (Let's not be mistaken.)
- Ne vous moquez pas d'eux. (Don't make fun of them.)
- Making mistakes is part of learning a new language. Don't be ashamed or embarrassed, learn from them! Everybody makes mistakes; it's what makes us human.
- The imperative is by no means the most complicated aspect of French grammar to master, but it is frequently used and worth spending a little time on in order to feel confident. Take your time during this and don't rush.