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Impératif
It’s imperative that you understand the imperative mood if you want to
- give orders
- make requests
- express desires
- provide recommendations
- offer advice
- prohibit actions
Affirmative commands
When telling someone to do something, you’re giving an affirmative command.
Par exemple…
Arrêtez ! | Stop! | |
Fais tes devoirs ! | Do your homework! | |
Prenez soin de vous. | Take care of yourself. |
Vouloir is used in the imperative for an especially polite order:
Veuillez patienter ici. | Please wait here. | |
Veuillez vous asseoir. | Please sit down. |
Negative commands
Logically enough, telling someone not to do something is a negative command.
Par exemple…
Ne parle pas si fort. | Don’t speak so loudly. | |
Ne soyons pas en retard. | Let’s not be late. |
Word order
Word order with negative commands follows the same rules as virtually* all other verb tenses and moods:
- Ne precedes the verb and pas or another negative word follows it.
- Any object, reflexive, and adverbial pronouns go between ne and the verb.
Par exemple…
Ne le regarde pas. | Don’t look at him. | |
Ne nous en parlez pas. | Don’t talk to us about that. |
Lesson: Double pronoun order
Par exemple…
Parle-lui. | Talk to him. | |
Montrez-le-nous. | Show it to us. |
As with all other verb constructions, when the object and reflexive pronouns me and te are followed by the adverbial pronouns en or y, they contract with those words.
Par exemple…
Parlez-m’en. | Talk to me about that. | |
Mets-t’y. | Stand there. |
Par exemple…
Parle-moi. | Talk to me. | |
Accroche-toi. | Hang on. |
Think you’ve got it? Test yourself on the French imperative with these fill-in-the-blanks exercises:
Conseils de prévention contre le coronavirus Recette de gel hydro-alcoolique Le règlement de la piscine
Note: You must be logged into your Progress with Lawless French account to take these tests. If you don’t have one, sign up – it’s free!
- Imperative conjugations
- Imperative lessons – PwLF super list
- Past imperative
- Verb mood
- Giving orders
- Object pronouns
- Reflexive pronouns
- Adverbial pronouns
- Negative adverbs
- Impersonal orders
- Si clauses
- Introduction to verbs
French lesson plans
- L’art langagier du caméléon (Lesson, 3rd-5th grade)
- Simon dit ! (Simon says!) (Lesson, 5th-8th grade)
En español

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