When forming the imperative in French drop the final -s of the present tense tu form. A lot of French natives make this mistake when writing!
Marche !
Walk!
Chante !
Sing!
French Articles
The imperative mood: how to use and form it in French?
By: Céline Bateman-Paris Tue Sep 17 2024
The imperative moodNo definition set for moodLorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam, quis nostrud exercitation ullamco laboris nisi ut aliquip ex ea commodo consequat. Duis aute irure dolor in reprehenderit in voluptate velit esse cillum dolore eu fugiat nulla pariatur. Excepteur sint occaecat cupidatat non proident, sunt in culpa qui officia deserunt mollit anim id est laborum. in French is used to give commands, advice, or suggestions and it is formed mostly using the French present tense as a base. For example:
Attendez-moi !
Wait for me!
Réveille-toi !
Wake up!
Teachers love the imperative and use it all the time in class. They may say:
Ouvrez vos livres !
Open your books!
Apprenez le vocabulaire par cœur !
Learn the vocab by heart!
Parents love it too:
Mange tes légumes !
Eat your greens!
Ne va pas au lit trop tard !
Don’t go to bed too late!
You probably use it too without realizing! When you say, “Come on!” or “Let’s go!” that’s the imperative!
In this post, we’ll review how the imperative works in French, how to conjugate it, how to use it with pronouns, and alternatives to using the imperative! Allons-y !(Let's go!)
Table of Contents
How does the imperative work in French?
The imperative works in French to express orders, suggestions, or advice. Like in English, there is no French subject pronoun with the imperative! It can also only be used with certain addressees. Let’s take a look:
No subject pronounNo definition set for subject pronounLorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam, quis nostrud exercitation ullamco laboris nisi ut aliquip ex ea commodo consequat. Duis aute irure dolor in reprehenderit in voluptate velit esse cillum dolore eu fugiat nulla pariatur. Excepteur sint occaecat cupidatat non proident, sunt in culpa qui officia deserunt mollit anim id est laborum.
Aside from the lack of a subject pronoun (which would be tu, nous, or vous), the imperative is essentially just like the present tense.
TuReviens !Come back!
VousRegardez !Look!
Only for tu, nous, and vous
Mange !
(you informal) Eat!
Mangeons !
Let's eat!
Mangez !
(you all) Eat!
If you wish to give a command to someone who is not present (e.g. “him,” “her,” or “them”) you’ll need to learn the French present subjunctive, as in Je veux qu’il vienne avec nous(I want him to come with us).
Now that you know when to use the imperative, let’s go ahead and learn how to conjugate it!
How to conjugate verbs in the imperative in French?
To conjugateNo definition set for conjugateLorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam, quis nostrud exercitation ullamco laboris nisi ut aliquip ex ea commodo consequat. Duis aute irure dolor in reprehenderit in voluptate velit esse cillum dolore eu fugiat nulla pariatur. Excepteur sint occaecat cupidatat non proident, sunt in culpa qui officia deserunt mollit anim id est laborum. verbsNo definition set for verbsLorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam, quis nostrud exercitation ullamco laboris nisi ut aliquip ex ea commodo consequat. Duis aute irure dolor in reprehenderit in voluptate velit esse cillum dolore eu fugiat nulla pariatur. Excepteur sint occaecat cupidatat non proident, sunt in culpa qui officia deserunt mollit anim id est laborum. in the imperative in French, you will follow the French present tense conjugations for all verbs, with only a few modifications and exceptions. Let's start with the -er verbs.
How to conjugate French ‘-er’ verbs in the imperative?
To conjugate the imperative with French -er verbs, you will use the present tense tu(you, informal), nous(we), or vous(you, formal / you, plural) form, without the subject pronoun.
Exception!
Take a look at the present tense and imperative mood for the -er verbs manger(to eat) and commencer(to start)
Present tense | Imperative |
|---|---|
tu manges - nous mangeons - vous mangez you eat - we eat - you eat | Mange ! Mangeons ! Mangez ! Eat! Let’s eat! Eat! |
tu commences - nous commençons - vous commencez you start - we start - you start | Commence ! Commençons ! Commencez ! Start! Let’s start! Start! |
Important
As usual, the French negation goes before and after the verb in the imperative form.
N’oublie pas tes clés cette fois !
Don’t forget your keys this time!
How to conjugate French ‘-ir’ and irregular verbs in the imperative?
I’m going to repeat myself, but conjugating -ir verbs in the imperative is still just like the present tense without the subject pronouns. And this time, there are (almost) no exceptions for irregular verbs! Yay!
Mets ton manteau !
Put on your coat!
Prenons un raccourci !
Let’s take a shortcut!
Faites attention !
Be careful!
Exception!
I did say there were almost no exceptions, right? Here are a few verbs with irregularNo definition set for irregularLorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam, quis nostrud exercitation ullamco laboris nisi ut aliquip ex ea commodo consequat. Duis aute irure dolor in reprehenderit in voluptate velit esse cillum dolore eu fugiat nulla pariatur. Excepteur sint occaecat cupidatat non proident, sunt in culpa qui officia deserunt mollit anim id est laborum. imperative forms:
être(to be): sois, soyons, soyez
Soyons à l’heure.
Let’s be on time.
avoir(to have): aie, ayons, ayez
N’ayez pas peur !
Don’t be scared!
savoir(to know): sache, sachons, sachez
Sache que la séance commence à 20h pile.
Keep in mind the movie will start at 8 pm sharp.
vouloir(to want). For a polite order, you’ll say or write veuillez and you won't really use it for tu and nous.
Veuillez attacher votre ceinture.
Please, fasten your seatbelt.
How to conjugate French reflexive verbs in the imperative?
To conjugate French reflexive verbs in the imperative, the form of the imperative verb is the same as the present tense form, but the French reflexive pronouns change to toi(yourself), nous(ourselves), and vous(yourselves).
These reflexive pronouns go after the verb in affirmative commands and there is always a hyphen between the imperative verb and the reflexive pronoun. In the negative imperative form, however, the reflexive pronouns go before the verb, with no hyphen. Additionally, in negatives, toi turns into te.
Affirmative form | Negative form |
|---|---|
Retourne-toi ! Turn around! | Ne te retourne pas ! Don’t turn around! |
Asseyons-nous ! Let’s sit down! | Ne nous asseyons pas ! Let’s not sit down! |
Cachez-vous ! Hide! | Ne vous cachez pas ! Don't hide! |
How to use the imperative with pronoun objects in French?
To use pronounsNo definition set for pronounsLorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam, quis nostrud exercitation ullamco laboris nisi ut aliquip ex ea commodo consequat. Duis aute irure dolor in reprehenderit in voluptate velit esse cillum dolore eu fugiat nulla pariatur. Excepteur sint occaecat cupidatat non proident, sunt in culpa qui officia deserunt mollit anim id est laborum. for the objects of imperative verbs in French, place the pronouns after the affirmative imperative verb, separated by a hyphen, and before a negative imperative. Let’s start with direct object pronounsNo definition set for direct object pronounsLorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam, quis nostrud exercitation ullamco laboris nisi ut aliquip ex ea commodo consequat. Duis aute irure dolor in reprehenderit in voluptate velit esse cillum dolore eu fugiat nulla pariatur. Excepteur sint occaecat cupidatat non proident, sunt in culpa qui officia deserunt mollit anim id est laborum. and indirect object pronounsNo definition set for indirect object pronounsLorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam, quis nostrud exercitation ullamco laboris nisi ut aliquip ex ea commodo consequat. Duis aute irure dolor in reprehenderit in voluptate velit esse cillum dolore eu fugiat nulla pariatur. Excepteur sint occaecat cupidatat non proident, sunt in culpa qui officia deserunt mollit anim id est laborum., then we’ll talk about other pronouns you can use to represent objects in commands.
How to use the imperative with direct and indirect object pronouns in French?
To use direct and indirect object pronouns (the French object pronouns) with the imperative in French, you’ll want to follow the rule outlined above: the pronouns go after an affirmative command (with a hyphen) and before a negative command.
Let’s start by seeing how it works with just one pronoun.
J’ai acheté le journal, lis-le !
I bought the newspaper; read it!
Julie est au téléphone, parle-lui !
Julie is on the phone; talk to her!
Les biscuits sont périmés, ne les mange pas !
The cookies are expired, don’t eat them!
Now, if you want to use two pronouns, here is the order they need to be in with affirmative commands:
Direct + Indirect Pronouns | Direct pronouns |
|---|---|
moi | le |
toi | la |
lui | les |
nous | |
vous | |
leur |
Did you notice how, in an affirmative imperative, the direct and indirect object pronouns me(me, to me) and te(you, to you) have become moi and toi?
In an affirmative imperative, the only pronouns that have different forms/positions for the direct and indirect object are:
le(him, it) / la(her, it) ↔ lui(to him, her, it)
les(them) ↔ leur(to them)
In all other cases, the direct and indirect object pronouns are the same!
In the examples below, la comes before moi and lui, because the pronouns le, la, and les always come before moi and lui (as well as toi, nous, vous, and leur).
Donne-la-moi !
Give it to me!
Donne-la-lui !
Give it to him!
The order for negative commands is different:
Direct + Indirect Pronouns | Direct pronouns | 3rd person indirect pronouns |
|---|---|---|
me | le | lui |
te | la | leur |
nous | les | |
vous |
In the negative form of the imperative, the direct and indirect object pronouns me(me, to me) and te(you, to you) do not change like they do above. They are still me and te.
We can also see that the order of pronouns is different. In negative commands, the direct and indirect pronouns me, te, nous and vous come first, followed by the direct object pronouns le, la, and les, and then the indirect third person pronouns lui and leur. For example:
Ne me la donne pas !
Don’t give it to me!
Ne la lui donne pas !
Don’t give it to him!
How to use the imperative with pronouns ‘en’ (some), ‘y’ (there, about it) in French?
You can also use the pronouns en(some) and y(there, about it) for the object of an imperative in mostly the same way as with object pronouns. When using these pronouns, you’ll need to know the following facts:
The French pronoun en substitutes things introduced by du, de la, des, d', de.
The French adverbial pronoun y substitutes places or things introduced by à.
In the affirmative, they are placed after the verb and, in the negative, they are placed before the verb.
de poisson → en⤷ dans ce restaurant → yNe commande pas de poisson dans ce restaurant.
Don't order fish in this restaurant.
⤋
N’y en commande pas !
Don’t order any there!
Tip
Think of the sound a donkey makes to remember the order of the double pronouns y, en: hee-haw! (hi han in French!)
Important
With a pronoun starting with a vowel, you will need to add an s to the tu form of the affirmative imperative. This is because it's easier to pronounce.
Vas-y !
Go!
Manges-en !
Eat some!
If you happen to be using both object pronouns and y or en, both y and en come after direct and indirect pronouns. Please remember some combos call for small changes:
Using direct pronouns before y and en
Le or la will reduce to l' before y:
Direct pronouns
le / la → l'
y
Mettez l’ordinateur sur la table.
Put the laptop on the table.
Mettez l'y
Put it there
Using indirect object pronouns before y and en
The indirect object pronouns moi and toi are always reduced to m' and t' before y or en:
Indirect object pronouns
moi → m'
toi → t'
lui
nous
vous
leur
y
en
Serz-moi du jus s’il te plait !
Pour me some juice please!
Sers-m'en s’il te plait !
Please pour me some!
Important
You may hear some native French speakers say:
❌ Donne-moi-z-en !
Give me some!
❌ Fais-en toi !
Make some for you!
What would be the more grammatical way of saying this?
✅ Donne-m’en !
✅ Fais-t’en !
Before we wrap up, let’s see some alternatives to the imperative mood that you can use!
What are some alternatives to the imperative in French?
There are several alternatives to the imperative in French. You can use the French present conditional, the French present indicative, the French future tense, or you can use other phrases, vouloir bien(to be willing to) or Attention (à)(watch out, beware) instead.
Because the imperative mood can come off as blunt or rude, it can be a good idea to use an alternative to the imperative in many circumstances, such as in restaurants, with your boss, or with people you don’t know very well.
Here are some examples of how you might use these alternatives in everyday life:
Circumstance | Blunt imperative 👎 | Gentle substitution 👍 |
|---|---|---|
At a restaurant | Donnez-moi le menu. Give me the menu. | Je pourrais avoir le menu s'il vous plaît ? Could I have the menu please? |
At the supermarket | Aidez-moi à atteindre ce paquet. Help me reach this packet. | Vous pourriez m’aider à attraper ce paquet ? Could you help me get this packet? |
At work | Dépêchez-vous, j’ai besoin de la photocopieuse ! Hurry up, I need the photocopy machine! | Désolé, je suis un peu pressé, je peux utiliser la photocopieuse ? I’m so sorry, I am a bit in a hurry, could I use the photocopy machine? |
At home | Ferme les volets ! Close the shutters! | Tu fermeras les volets, s’il te plaît ? Close the shutters, will you? |
On the bus | Poussez-vous ! Move! | Vous voulez bien vous décaler s'il vous plaît ? Could you move slightly please? |
At the airport | N’oublie pas tes clés ! Careful not to forget your keys! | Attention à ne pas oublier tes clés ! Careful not to forget your keys! |
In brief: Top tips to master the French imperative
To use the imperative in French, keep the following tips in mind!
The imperative sounds just like the present tense without a subject pronoun.
When you write a verb in the imperative, remember -er verbs don't have an "s" with tu.
All pronouns go after the verb in the affirmative form and before the verb in the negative form.
Remember the combos l'y, m'en, t'en, m'y, t'y.
Ready for some practice? Check out our activities on the French imperative!
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