L’impératif Mme DiMarco

“Go see your teacher!”

“Close the door.”

“Send me an email.”

What do you notice??

L'impératif in French, is a verb mood which is used to…

1. Give an order/command

2. Express a desire

3. Make a request

4. Recommend something

L’impératif

With l’impératif, you only have 3 pronouns to choose from…

When writing or speaking in l’impératif you do not say the pronoun!!!

Tu – you

Nous – we

Vous – you plural (as in, you guys)

How do you conjugate??

Step 1: decide which pronoun to use. Who are you giving the command to?

Example, I want to tell my students to do their French homework. I would select vous because I would be telling many people to do the command.

Step 2: take the present tense of the verb and select the appropriate pronoun.

Example, the verb for “do” is faire. Since I am selecting vous as my pronoun, I know that the verb I will use is faites.

Step 3: drop the pronoun, only use the verb in the sentence.

Example, I wouldn’t say vous faites les devoirs! I drop the vous, and keep the faites.

Faites les devoirs!

Steps to conjugate

The conjugation for l’imperatif is the same as the present tense for ER verbs

The only exception is that instead of adding –ES as the ending for the form TU, you add an –E only

Example: Parlez maintenant! Speak now!

ER Verbs

Parler

Tu Parle

Nous Parlons

Vous Parlez

The conjugation for l’imperatif is the same as the present tense for IR end RE verbs

Examples:

Finis tes devoirs! Finish your homework!

Attendez mes amis! Wait my friends!

IR and RE Verbs

Finir

Tu finis

Nous finissons

Vous finissez

Attendre

Tu attends

Nous attendons

Vous attendez

There are only 4 verbs that do not follow the same pattern for l’impératif

Irregular Verbs

Avoir

Tu aie

Nous ayons

Vous ayez

Être

Tu sois

Nous soyons

Vous soyez

Savoir

Tu sache

Nous sachons

Vous sachez

Vouloir

Tu veuille

Nous n/a

Vous veuillez

L’impératif is used when… Giving a command/order Telling someone to do something

It is conjugated with only three pronouns… Tu Nous Vous

It is conjugated using the present tense of the verb… Step 1: decide which pronoun to use. Who are you giving the command to? Step 2: take the present tense of the verb and select the appropriate pronoun Step 3: drop the pronoun, only use the verb in the sentence.

There are only 4 irregular verbs… Avoir Être, Savoir Vouloir

In summary