The Imperative (Giving Orders) (Leaving Cert French): Revision Notes
📚 Revision Notes
The Imperative (Giving Orders)
The imperative is used to give commands (telling someone to do something) or to make suggestions (like saying "let's...").
Examples:
- Regarde! (Look!)
- Allons-y! (Let's go!)
- Lisez! (Read!)
How to Form the Imperative
- When giving an order to one person (informally):
- Use the "tu" form of the verb, which is the 2nd person singular.
- When giving an order to a group of people, or when including yourself (i.e., "Let's..."):
- Use the "nous" form of the verb, which is the 1st person plural.
- When giving an order to a group of people or formally to one person:
- Use the "vous" form of the verb, which is the 2nd person plural or formal singular. Important Note: For er verbs (like parler), drop the final s in the tu form when using the imperative.
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Examples:
- Tu chantes → Chante! (Sing!)
- Nous marchons → Marchons! (Let's walk!)
- Vous écrivez → Écrivez! (Write!)
Irregular Verbs
Irregular verbs follow the same structure, but some have special forms:
- Avoir: aie, ayons, ayez
- Être: sois, soyons, soyez
- Savoir: sache, sachons, sachez
- Vouloir: veuillez (this is the only form used)
infoNote
Note: For the verb aller, remove the -s from vas but add it back if followed by the pronoun y.
- Va à la maison! (Go home!)
- Vas-y! (Go ahead!)
The Imperative with Reflexive Verbs
When you use reflexive verbs in the imperative (commands), the structure changes slightly from the normal verb forms. Here's how to do it correctly:
-
Reflexive Pronoun Placement: In the imperative, the reflexive pronoun (like me, te, se) comes after the verb instead of before. It is connected to the verb with a hyphen.
-
Special Change for "Tu": When giving a command using "tu," the reflexive pronoun te changes to toi in the imperative form.
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Examples:
-
Tu te reposes (present: you rest) → Repose-toi! (imperative: rest!) Here, te changes to toi, and it moves after the verb repose, connected with a hyphen.
-
Nous nous habillons (we are getting dressed) → Habillons-nous! (let's get dressed!) Nous stays the same but moves after the verb habillons with a hyphen.
-
Vous vous dépêchez (you hurry) → Dépêchez-vous! (hurry up!) Vous stays the same but moves after the verb dépêchez with a hyphen.
Steps Summary:
- Identify the command you want to give in English.
- Identify the verb in French, remembering that reflexive verbs have "se" or "s'" before the infinitive.
- Identify the person you're addressing: tu (informal you), vous (formal you or plural you), or nous (we).
- Identify the verb ending: -er, -ir, -re, or irregular.
- Form the imperative:
- For tu: Use the tu form, drop the final s for -er verbs, and change te to toi.
- For nous: Use the nous form and place nous after the verb with a hyphen.
- For vous: Use the vous form and place vous after the verb with a hyphen.
Try it Out!
| English Command | French Verb (Infinitive) | Person | Verb Ending | Present Tense Form | Imperative Form |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Get up! | se lever | tu (informal "you") | -er | tu te lèves | Lève-toi! (Drop -s, change te to toi, add hyphen) |
| Let's wash! | se laver | nous (we) | -er | nous nous lavons | Lavons-nous! (Remove nous before the verb, add hyphen) |
| Sit down! (formal/plural) | s'asseoir | vous (formal/plural "you") | irregular | vous vous asseyez | Asseyez-vous! (Remove vous before the verb, add hyphen) |
| Don't worry! | s'inquiéter | tu (informal "you") | -er | tu t'inquiètes | Ne t'inquiète pas! (Keep te before the verb, add ne and pas) |
| Let's have fun! | s'amuser | nous (we) | -er | nous nous amusons | Amusons-nous! (Remove nous before the verb, add hyphen) |
| Wake up! | se réveiller | tu (informal "you") | -er | tu te réveilles | Réveille-toi! (Drop -s, change te to toi, add hyphen) |
| Let's sit down! | s'asseoir | nous (we) | irregular | nous nous asseyons | Asseyons-nous! (Remove nous before the verb, add hyphen) |
| Get dressed! | s'habiller | tu (informal "you") | -er | tu t'habilles | Habille-toi! (Drop -s, change te to toi, add hyphen) |
| Let's go away! | s'en aller | nous (we) | irregular | nous nous en allons | Allons-nous-en! (Remove nous before the verb, add hyphen) |
| Don't get upset! | se fâcher | vous (formal/plural "you") | -er | vous vous fâchez | Ne vous fâchez pas! (Keep vous before the verb, add ne and pas) |
| Go to bed! | se coucher | tu (informal "you") | -er | tu te couches | Couche-toi! (Drop -s, change te to toi, add hyphen) |
| Let's relax! | se détendre | nous (we) | -re | nous nous détendons | Détendons-nous! (Remove nous before the verb, add hyphen) |
| Wash your hands! | se laver | vous (formal/plural "you") | -er | vous vous lavez | Lavez-vous les mains! (Remove vous before the verb, add hyphen) |
| Don't get lost! | se perdre | tu (informal "you") | -re | tu te perds | Ne te perds pas! (Keep te before the verb, add ne and pas) |
| Let's meet up! | se retrouver | nous (we) | -er | nous nous retrouvons | Retrouvons-nous! (Remove nous before the verb, add hyphen) |
| Don't fall asleep! | s'endormir | vous (formal/plural "you") | -ir | vous vous endormez | Ne vous endormez pas! (Keep vous before the verb, add ne and pas) |
| Rest! | se reposer | tu (informal "you") | -er | tu te reposes | Repose-toi! (Drop -s, change te to toi, add hyphen) |
| Let's calm down! | se calmer | nous (we) | -er | nous nous calmons | Calmons-nous! (Remove nous before the verb, add hyphen) |
| Get ready! | se préparer | vous (formal/plural "you") | -er | vous vous préparez | Préparez-vous! (Remove vous before the verb, add hyphen) |
| Don't hurt yourself! | se blesser | tu (informal "you") | -er | tu te blesses | Ne te blesse pas! (Keep te before the verb, add ne and pas) |