Imperative

Prends un café avant de partir! (Tu prends)

Have a coffee before you leave!

Signez votre nom ici! Sign your name here! (Vous signez)
Allons leur rendre visite! Let’s go visit them!

Épelez votre nom, s’il vous plaît. (Vous épelez)

Please spell your name.

Faites un effort! (Vous faites) To make the three forms of the

Make an effort! imperative, take the tu, nous, and
Prenons une pause. Nous sommes si fatigués. (Nous pronons) vous forms of the present tense.
Let’s have a break. We are so tired.
1
Ouvre la fenêtre! Ferme la porte!
Open the window! Shut the door!

Lisez les phrases suivantes. Rentrez à la maison avant minuit!

Read the following sentences! Come home before midnight!

Parle! Choisis! Réponds! Bois!

Speak! Choose! Answer! Drink!

Parler Parlons! Choisir Choisissons! Répondre Répondons! Boire Buvons!

To speak Let’s speak! To choose Let’s choose! to answer Let’s answer! To drink Let’s drink!
Parlez! Choisissez! Répondez! Buvez!
Speak! Choose! Answer! Drink!

Mange le gâteau. (Tu manges) Regarde le match. (Tu regardes) With -er verbs and -ir verbs
Eat the cake. Watch the match. conjugated like -er verbs such as
Ouvre-le. (Tu ouvres) Donnes-en à ton frère. (ouvrir, souffrir, and
Open it. Give some to your brother. Offrir), take the final -s off the tu
2
Manges-en! Vas-y! Restes-y! form of the verb.
Eat some! Go on! Go ahead! Stay there!

Ouvres-en! Proftes-en! But with en and y the s is kept for

Open some! Make the most of it! easier pronunciation.

Excusez-moi. Attendez-moi!
Excuse me. Wait for me!

Aidez-les! Regarde-nous!
Help them! Look at us!
The object pronouns come after
Attendons-la. Demande-lui! the imperative verbs and the two
Let’s wait for her/it. Ask him!
3 words are joined with a hyphen.
Allez-y! Tenez-moi au courant!
Go ahead! Keep me posted!
(Me and te change into moi and toi)
Bois-en! Laissez-moi tranquille!
Drink some! Leave me alone!

Prévenez-moi! Faites-moi confance!

Inform me! Trust me!

If there are two object pronouns in the imperative, they have the following order (direct + indirect + y / en).
The pronouns are joined to each other and to the verb by a hyphen. Note that before en, moi becomes m’.
Prête-les-moi! Passez-le-moi! Moi (m’)
Lend them to me! Or Lend me them Let me talk to him! (on the phone)
Toi (t’)
Donnez-la-nous ! Dites-le-lui! Le (l’) Se (s’)
Give it to us! Or Give us it Say it to him!
4 la (l’) Nous Y En
Dis-le-moi! Donnez-les-leur! les Vous
Tell me! Give them to them!
Lui
Emmène-les-y! Donnez-m’en!
Take them there! Give me some! Leur

Ne regarde pas la télé ! N’oubliez pas son anniversaire!

Don't watch TV! Don’t forget her birthday!

Ne viens plus chez moi ! Ne parle pas si fort! The imperative is often used in the
Don't come to my place anymore! Don’t talk so loud!
5 negative. Just place the negative
N’allez plus au parc ! Ne prends pas ma voiture! forms around the verb
Don't go to the park anymore! Don’t take my car!

Ne signez pas ce document avant de l’avoir lu.

Do not sign this document before reading it.
 Ne me dérange pas. Ne l’appelle pas dimanche!
Don’t disturb me. Don’t call him on Sunday!

Ne leur parlons pas. Ne le regardez pas. In the negative form, the object
Let’s not speak to them. Don’t look at him/it. pronouns come BEFORE the verb.
6
Ne le regarde pas! N’y pensez plus! There is no hyphen.
Don’t look at him! Don’t think of it any more! (Me and te don’t change)
N’y allons pas avant midi.
Let’s not go there before noon.

If there are two object pronouns in the negative imperative, they have the following order:
Ne me le dites pas! Ne m’en parlez pas! Me (m’)
Don’t tell (it to) me! Don’t talk to me about it!
Te (t’) Le (l’)
Ne vous y mariez pas! Ne les lui montre pas! Lui
7 Se (s’) la (l’) Y En
Don’t get married there! Don’t show them to him! leur
nous les
Ne la leur vendez pas! Ne le lui offrons pas!
Don’t sell it to them! Let’s not offer it to her!
Vous

Lève-toi! Assieds-toi. When telling someone TO DO sth,

Get up! Sit down.
you put the reflexive pronoun
8 Dépêchez-vous! Promenons-nous! AFTER the verb and join the two
Hurry up! Let’s take a walk!
words with a hyphen. Me (m’) and
Habillons-nous. Reposez-vous!
Let’s get dressed. Take a rest!
te (t’) become moi and toi.

Ne te lève pas. Ne vous reposez pas! When telling sb NOT TO DO sth,

Don’t get up. Do not rest!
9 you put the reflexive pronoun
Ne vous habillez pas. Ne nous promenons pas! BEFORE the verb as usual.
Don’t get dressed. Let’s not take a walk!

Allons à la piscine ! Faisons les exercises! Making suggestions

Let's go to the swimming pool! Let’s do the exercises! If you want to suggest doing
10
Prenons un taxi! Allons à la plage! something, use the imperative
Let's take a taxi! Let’s go to the beach! form of nous

Sois sage. Aie plus de patience!

Be good. Have more patience! Imperative forms of irregular
Sachez que je suis avec vous! Ne soyez pas si rigide! verbs: (Être, avoir, savoir, vouloir)
Be aware (Know that) I am with you! Don’t be so rigid!

Pierre, ayez confiance en vous. Veuillez signer le contrat. The irregular verb vouloir (to
Have confidence in yourself, Peter. Please sign the contract.
want) is used only in the vous
11 Veuillez accepter mes excuses! Veuillez fermer la porte. imperative form.
Please accept my excuses! Please shut the door.

Sois Aie Sache Veuille

Be Have Know

Être Soyons Avoir Ayons Savoir Sachons Vouloir Veuillons

To be Let’s be To have Let’s have To know Let’s know To want
Soyez Ayez Sachez Veuillez
Be Have Know

Ne lui téléphone pas! Ne conduisez pas si rapidement!

Don’t call him! Don’t drive so fast!

Téléphone-lui! Ne le mange pas.

Call him! Don’t eat it!

Ne mange pas ses bonbons! Ne parle pas Anglais avec moi!

Don’t eat their candy! Don’t speak English with me!

12 Ne bois pas mon café! N’oublie pas ce que je te dis! Extra examples
Don’t drink my coffee! Don’t forget what I’m telling you!

Mange-le! S’il vous plaît, soyez prudent!

Eat it! Please be careful.

Donne-le-moi! Ne me le donne pas!

Give it to me! Don’t give it to me!

Sachez que le prof a raison! Aie un peu de patience!

Know that the teacher is right! Have a little patience!