The imperative (commands): The imperative (l'impératif) is how French gives commands, instructions and advice: do this, don't do that. You use it for recipes, directions, signs and tips.
Why it's easy
- It has only three forms: tu, nous, vous.
- You drop the subject pronoun: you say Parle !, not tu parles.
- nous is the let's… command (Parlons ! = let's speak).
- l'impératif
- the imperative — the command form (do this!)
- l'impératif affirmatif
- an affirmative command — telling someone TO do something (Parle !)
- l'impératif négatif
- a negative command — telling someone NOT to do something (Ne parle pas !)
- tu / vous
- informal you / formal-or-plural you — each has its own command form
- nous
- the let's… command (Parlons ! = let's talk)
- le pronom sujet (omis)
- the subject pronoun is DROPPED in the imperative — Mange !, not tu manges
When you reach for it: Any time the task is a recipe, a set of directions, an instruction sheet or a piece of advice, you'll use the imperative. Tourne à droite, N'oublie pas ton casque, Goûte ce plat — short, direct, and very common in the writing tasks.
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Three forms, no pronoun: Take the present tense, keep only the tu / nous / vous forms, and drop the pronoun.
Watch out
- One twist: -er verbs lose the final -s in the tu form (tu manges → Mange !).
- For -ir and -re verbs the -s stays (Finis !, Prends !).
- A few verbs are irregular: learn être, avoir and aller by heart.
| Personne | -er (parler) | -ir (finir) | -re (prendre) |
|---|---|---|---|
| tu | parle | finis | prends |
| nous (let's) | parlons | finissons | prenons |
| vous | parlez | finissez | prenez |
| négatif (tu) | ne parle pas | ne finis pas | ne prends pas |
| Verbe | tu | nous | vous |
|---|---|---|---|
| être | sois | soyons | soyez |
| avoir | aie | ayons | ayez |
| aller | va | allons | allez |
| faire | fais | faisons | faites |
| mettre | mets | mettons | mettez |
Drop the -s on -er tu commands: The present is tu manges, but the command drops the -s: Mange !. Same for aller: tu vas → Va !. The one exception: keep the -s before y or en for the liaison — Vas-y ! (Go on!), Manges-en ! (Have some!).
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Five everyday jobs: The imperative shows up wherever someone is told what to do. Here are the five contexts you meet most in the exam, each with a French example.
Les emplois de l'impératif
- Instructions — Remplis le formulaire et signe en bas. (Fill in the form and sign at the bottom.)
- Recipes — Ajoute deux œufs et mélange bien. (Add two eggs and mix well.)
- Directions — Continue tout droit et tourne à droite. (Go straight on and turn right.)
- Advice — Repose-toi davantage et ne t'inquiète pas trop. (Rest more and don't worry too much.)
- Signs & notices — Ne fume pas ici. Garde la porte fermée. (Don't smoke here. Keep the door closed.)
Short and direct: Notice how short and direct each command is, and how the subject pronoun disappears.
Match the command to your reader: Use the tu command for a friend or someone your age (goûte ça), and the vous command for someone you address formally or for several people (goûtez ceci, monsieur).
Recipes, signs and packaging: For a recipe or a general public sign, tu or vous is common, and the infinitive can appear on packaging (Ajouter du sel).
A recipe, step by step: Here's a short recipe, built one instruction at a time, all in the imperative. Read it once, then tap Voir la traduction for the English or the audio button to hear it.
What to watch for
- Mostly tu commands, with the dropped -s on the -er verbs: lave, coupe, ajoute, remue, goûte.
- An irregular: mets, sois.
- A negative: ne laisse pas.
- A reflexive: dépêchons-nous.
- The nous let's form at the end.
L'impératif en action
Une recette, pas à pas
- D'abord, lave bien les légumes et coupe-les en petits morceaux.
- Mets une casserole sur le feu et ajoute un peu d'huile.
- Ne laisse pas brûler la sauce ; remue-la doucement.
- Sois patient et goûte avant de servir.
- Enfin, dépêchons-nous et mangeons tous ensemble !
Steal this for instructions: Notice the pattern: short imperative verbs (lave, coupe, mets, ajoute) plus sequence words (d'abord, ensuite, enfin). Swap in any process — a recipe, directions, a how-to — and you have a tidy set of instructions. Watch the pronoun: coupe-les (attached with a hyphen on an affirmative) but ne les coupe pas (before on a negative).
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The slips anglophone learners make: Four traps cost most marks. Compare the right version with the typical mistake.
The four traps
- Keeping the subject pronoun (tu parle is wrong → Parle ! is right).
- Forgetting to drop the -s on an -er tu command (manges is wrong → Mange ! is right).
- Pronoun placement: it attaches with a hyphen after an affirmative (Lève-toi !) but goes before a negative (Ne te lève pas !), and te → toi only on the affirmative.
- Using the infinitive as a command to a person (Fermer la porte is wrong → Ferme la porte is right).
Correct
- Parle plus fort.
- Mange tes légumes.
- Lève-toi maintenant.
- Ne te lève pas encore.
- Ferme la porte, s'il te plaît.
Erreur fréquente
- Tu parle plus fort.
- Manges tes légumes.
- Lève-te maintenant.
- Lève-toi pas encore.
- Fermer la porte, s'il te plaît.
Drop the pronoun, drop the -s, place the pronoun
1
Drop the pronoun
Did you drop the subject pronoun (Parle !, not tu parles)?
2
Drop the -s
On an -er tu command, did you drop the -s (Mange !)?
3
Place the pronoun
Is the object/reflexive pronoun attached after an affirmative (Donne-le-moi, Lève-toi) but before a negative (Ne me le donne pas, Ne te lève pas)?
pronoun out, -s out, pronoun in place
No bare infinitive: And never use a bare infinitive as a command to a person.