The imperative (l'impératif) is a mood used to give commands, instructions, or advice. It has only three forms (tu, nous, vous) and does not use subject pronouns. It is used for:
- Direct commands
- Instructions and recipes
- Suggestions and advice
- Invitations
- Warnings
- Encouragement
Regular Conjugations
| Person | -er | -ir (finir type) | -re |
|---|---|---|---|
| (tu) | -e | -is | -s |
| (nous) | -ons | -issons | -ons |
| (vous) | -ez | -issez | -ez |
An -er verb drops the -s of its tu form: parle.
Regular -er verb: parler in Impératif
-ir verbs keep the -s: finis.
Regular -ir verb: finir in Impératif
-re verbs keep it as well: vends.
Regular -re verb: vendre in Impératif
Common Irregular Verbs
These four take their subjunctive forms instead.
| Person | être | avoir | savoir | vouloir |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| (tu) | sois | aie | sache | veuille |
| (nous) | soyons | ayons | sachons | veuillons |
| (vous) | soyez | ayez | sachez | veuillez |
Important Notes
- No subject pronouns are used
- For -er verbs, drop the 's' in tu form (parle, not parles), but restore it before y or en: parles-en, vas-y
- With reflexive verbs, pronouns come after the verb with hyphens:
- Lève-toi! (Get up!)
- Lavons-nous! (Let's wash ourselves!)
- Asseyez-vous! (Sit down!)
- In negative commands, ne...pas surrounds the verb:
- Ne parle pas! (Don't speak!)
- N'y allez pas! (Don't go there!)
- With object pronouns, they come before the verb in negative commands:
- Ne le fais pas! (Don't do it!)
- Ne lui parle pas! (Don't talk to him/her!)