Giving Orders

The imperative can be used to give orders, but in many situations you may wish to avoid the instruction sounding too brusque, and alternative expressions may be more suitable. When using the imperative, remember that donc or je vous en prie / je t’en prie can be added afterwards for politeness or emphasis.

• Entrez donc.
  • Do come in.
• Servez-vous, je vous en prie.
  • Please do help yourself.
• Fais comme chez-toi, je t’en prie.
  • Please make yourself at home.
• Rappelez-moi demain.
  • Call me back tomorrow.
• Voulez-vous me rappeler demain ?
  • Would you call me back tomorrow?
• Vous me rappeler demain ?
  • Could you call me back tomorrow?

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Hi, everyone. I hope you all are doing well. 🙂

Merci,

Courtney

The Imperative of Reflexive Verbs

Reflexive pronouns follow the same rules in commands as direct and indirect object pronouns. Review the imperative here.

In negative commands, reflexive pronouns appear in their usual position before the verb.

• Ne t’inquiète pas. | Don’t worry.
• Ne nous dépêchons pas. | Let’s not hurry.
• Ne vous fâchez pas. | Don’t get angry.

In affirmative commands, reflexive pronouns are placed after the verb and attached to it by a hyphen in writing. The pronoun te changes to toi when it follows the verb in an affirmative command.

• Lève-toi et mets-toi en route. | Get up and start your trip.
• Approchons-nous de la place. | Let’s go over to the plaza.
• Asseyez-vous avec moi. | Sit down with me.

Additional reflexive verbs often used in the imperative:

• s’organiser | to get organised
• se disputer | to quarrel, argue
• se faire mal | to hurt each other
• se préparer | to get ready
• se salir | to get dirty

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Have a wonderful week, everyone!

Merci à vous !

Courtney

Object Pronouns with the Imperative

In negative commands, object pronouns have their usual position before the verb.

• Ce programme antivirus n’est pas bon. Ne le télécharge pas. | That antivirus program is no good. Don’t download it.
• Cette carte de crédit n’est pas valable. Ne l’accepte pas. | That credit card isn’t valid. Don’t accept it.
• Ces données sont très importantes. Ne les perdons pas. | This data is very important. Let’s not lose it.

In affirmative commands, however, object pronouns follow the command form and are joined to it in writing by a hyphen.

• Ce chapeau est jolie. Essaie-le. | This hat is pretty. Try it on.
• Cette assiette est sale. Lave-la. | This plate is dirty. Wash it.
• Ces fichiers sont importants. Sauvegardons-les. | These files are important. Let’s save them.
• Si vous voulez ce meuble, commandez-le. | If you want this piece of furniture, order it.
• Hélène et Marie veulent rentrer. Raccompagnez-les. | Hélène and Marie want to go home. Walk them home.
• Dites-lui que nous sommes en retard. | Tell him that we’re late.
• Il faut les mettre au courant. Téléphonez-leur. | We have to inform them. Phone them.

The object pronouns me and te (as both direct and indirect object pronouns) become moi and toi when they follow affirmative commands.

• Aide-moi, s’il te plaît. | Help me, please.
• Envoyez-moi un e-mail pour me tenir au courant. | Send me an email to keep me informed.

Toi as an object pronoun appears only with reflexive verbs.

• Lave-toi. | Wash up.
• Brosse-toi les dents. | Brush your teeth.

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Have a great week, everyone!

A la prochaine…

Courtney

Omitting the Possessive Adjective

In an imperative or command:

In French, possessive adjectives are used to modify the noun they precede.

Voici ma mère. | This is my mother.

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Regarde ma nouvelle voiture ! | Look at my new car!

A common construction is one where the possessive adjective is dropped in an imperative or command (and replaced with a definite article along with a personal pronoun) only if an action is being taken on a physical attribute (head, back, arm etc.). In the following examples, action is not being taken on the physical attribute, therefore the possessive adjective remains.

Regarde mon dos. | Look at my back.

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Remarque mes cheveux. | Notice my hair.

In the following examples, an action is being taken on the physical attribute.

Masse-moi le dos. | Massage my back.

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Coupe-moi les cheveux. | Cut my hair.

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Tiens-moi la main. | Hold my hand.

Verb	Possessive Adjective	Noun
masse	mon	dos
coupe	mes	cheveux

↙↘

Verb	Personal Pronoun	Definite Article	Noun
masse	moi	le	dos
coupe	moi	les	cheveux

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In a statement:

The possessive adjective may also be dropped in a statement only if an action is being taken on the physical attribute. In the following examples, an action is not being taken.

Je regarde son dos. | I’m looking at his/her back.

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Elle remarque ses cheveux. | She’s noticing his/her hair.

In the following examples, an action is being taken on the physical attribute.

Je lui masse le dos. | I’m massaging his/her back.

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Elle me coupe les cheveux. | She’s cutting my hair.

The possessive adjective takes the form of the appropriate personal pronoun and is placed before the verb, and a definite article is placed before the object. The same applies to pronominal verbs (when the action is being done to oneself).

• I wash my hands. = Je me lave les mains.
• She brushes her hair. = Elle se brosse les cheveux.

Subject	Verb	Possessive Adjective	Object
je	masse	son	dos
elle	coupe	mes	cheveux

↙↘

Subject	Personal Pronoun	Verb	Definite Article	Object
je	lui	masse	le	dos
elle	me	coupe	les	cheveux

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In the past tense (passé composé):

In the past tense as well, the personal pronoun is placed after the subject (just as it is in the present tense).

Subject	Personal Pronoun	Verb	Definite Article	Object
je	lui	masse	le	dos
elle	me	coupe	les	cheveux

↙↘

Subject	Personal Pronoun	Avoir	Past Participle	Definite Article	Object
je	lui	ai	massé	le	dos
elle	m’	a	coupé	les	cheveux

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In the past tense using pronominal verbs:

The construction for using pronominal verbs is much like using passé composé with the exception that, as with all reflexive verbs, the past participle is conjugated with être.

Subject	Personal Pronoun	Être	Past Participle	Definite Article	Object
je	me	suis	lavé	les	mains
elle	s’	est	cassé	la	jambe

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I hope everyone is doing well and having a wonderful week!

Merci à vous !

Courtney

Lesson 32 – The Imperative

Leçon 32 – L’impératif

The imperative form is used for demands, giving orders, and addressing one or more people directly.

The imperative of almost all French verbs is easy to form – you drop the subject pronoun (tu, nous, or vous) of present tense forms. This is true for both affirmative and negative commands. The nous command is the equivalent of “let’s (not) do ___ ” in English.

• Réfléchis avant d’agir. N’agis pas sans réfléchir.
• Think before you act. Don’t act without thinking.

• Ne m’interrompez pas. Ne dites rien.
• Don’t interrupt me. Don’t say anything.

• N’attendons plus. Choisissons un cadeau pour maman aujourd’hui.
• Let’s not wait any longer. Let’s choose a gift for mom today.

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Most imperatives are regular in speech. However, the written forms have one orthographic change: the informal imperative (tu form) of –er verbs loses the final s of the present tense ending. The s is also lost in the informal imperative of aller and of –ir verbs conjugated like –er verbs, such as ouvrir, souffrir, etc.

• N’ouvre pas la porte. Demande qui c’est d’abord.
• Don’t open the door. Ask who it is first.

• Va au bureau et donne cette lettre à la secrétaire.
• Go to the office and give this letter to the secretary.

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Some verbs had irregular imperative forms.

	Command Form	Command Form	Command Form	Command Form
Person	être	avoir	savoir	vouloir
tu	sois	aie	sache	veuille*
nous	soyons	ayons	sachons	—
vous	soyez	ayez	sachez	veuillez*

*Sometimes veux and voulez are used as command forms for vouloir.

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Veuillez + infinitive is used to add a polite note to the imperative,  just like “please” in English. This form is possible, but not common, since the imperative of vouloir has a formal tone.

• Veuillez attendre en bas.
• Please wait downstairs.

• Veuillez répondre dans le plus brefs délais.
• Please answer as soon as possible.

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The infinitive of the verb, rather than the command form, is often used as an imperative in written French to express commands/instructions to the general public, such as instructions for use (directions on medicine bottles, or road signs, for example).

• Agiter avant d’ouvrir.
• Shake before opening.

• Tenir la droit.
• Keep right.

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I hope you guys found this post to be helpful. I have noticed a spike in views to this blog, possibly due to la rentrée! To anyone new to this blog, feel free to follow me, bookmark this page, or even leave requests for posts you’d like to see here.

Have an amazing week, everyone!

A la prochaine !

Courtney