Translating Infinitives, Imperatives, and Participles

Traduire les impératifs, infinitifs et participes


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French and English have a number of important differences in verb tenses and moods, which can make translating the various conjugations from one language to the other a bit tricky, as explained in the intro to this lesson: French verb conjugation translations.

Please be sure to keep all of that in mind as you look at the verb donner (to give) conjugated into the impersonal and imperative forms. I can’t list every possible translation, but this should give you a pretty good idea of how all the French and English verb conjugations fit together. For a more in-depth look, click the name of any French verb form for the detailed lesson.

Imperative

(tu)	donne	give
(nous)	donnons	let’s give
(vous	donnez	give

Past imperative

(tu)	aie donné	have given
(nous)	ayons donné	let’s have given
(vous	ayez donné	have given

Infinitive

The French infinitive donner may be equivalent to

to give (English infinitive)
give (base form)
giving (gerund)

Past infinitive

This French verb form is particularly difficult to attach to a specific English translation; avoir donné is literally "to have given," but is more likely to be translated by giving, having given, about giving ….