The imperative
Giving orders and instructions: parle !, parlons !, parlez ! and where pronouns go.
The imperative has three forms (tu, nous, vous) and no subject, as in English. The forms come from the present tense. The nous form means «let's…».
| parler | finir | prendre | |
|---|---|---|---|
| tu | parle ! | finis ! | prends ! |
| nous (let's) | parlons ! | finissons ! | prenons ! |
| vous | parlez ! | finissez ! | prenez ! |
Irregular imperatives
| Verb | tu | nous | vous |
|---|---|---|---|
| être | sois | soyons | soyez |
| avoir | aie | ayons | ayez |
| savoir | sache | sachons | sachez |
| vouloir | — | — | veuillez (formal: please…) |
- Sois sage !Be good!
- N'ayez pas peur.Don't be afraid.
- Veuillez patienter.Please wait.
Pronouns in the imperative
In the positive, pronouns go after the verb with a hyphen, and me / te become moi / toi. In the negative, they stay before the verb:
- Regarde-moi ! / Ne me regarde pas !Look at me! / Don't look at me!
- Assieds-toi.Sit down.
- Prends-le. / Ne le prends pas.Take it. / Don't take it.
Test yourself
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Imperative (tu): écouter
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Écoute ! -
Imperative (vous): être patient
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Soyez patients ! -
Make negative: Lève-toi !
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Ne te lève pas ! -
Translate: «Let's go!»
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Allons-y !