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Verbs

The imperative: giving an order

L’impératif : donner un ordre

No subject: Mange! Mangeons! Mangez! With tu, verbs in -er have no s (parle!). Sois, aie, va are irregular.

Rule and examples

Three persons, no subject

The imperative has three forms and the subject is not written: mange! (tu) · mangeons! (nous) · mangez! (vous). It is like the present, but without “tu”, “nous”, “vous”.

Example Mange ta pomme ! · Mangeons ! · Mangez !

No s for verbs in -er

With “tu”, verbs in -er (and ouvrir, offrir) lose the s: tu parles → parle!; tu ouvres → ouvre! The others keep the s: finis! prends! attends! fais! dis! viens!

Example Parle ! · Ouvre ! · Finis ! · Prends !

Sois, aie, va: irregular

Être: sois! soyons! soyez! Avoir: aie! ayons! ayez! Aller: va! allons! allez! (but “vas-y”). Faire: fais! faisons! faites! Dire: dis! disons! dites! To forbid, ne … pas goes around the verb: ne mange pas! n’ouvrez pas!

Example Sois sage ! · Va chercher le pain ! · Ne mange pas !

Exercises with answers

Try each exercise before opening the answer.

  1. Give an order to one person (tu). Put the verb in brackets in the imperative.

    ___ bien ! (écouter – tu)

    1. Écoutons bien !
    2. Écoutes bien !
    3. Écoutez bien !
    4. Écoute bien !
    Show the answer

    Écoute bien !

    Imperative (tu): the subject is dropped → “Écoute bien !”. Verb in -er with tu: no s.

  2. Give an order to one person (tu). Put the verb in brackets in the imperative.

    ___ la fenêtre ! (ouvrir – tu)

    1. Ouvres la fenêtre !
    2. Ouvre la fenêtre !
    3. Ouvrons la fenêtre !
    4. Tu ouvres la fenêtre !
    Show the answer

    Ouvre la fenêtre !

    Imperative (tu): the subject is dropped → “Ouvre la fenêtre !”. Ouvrir is conjugated like a verb in -er: no s with tu.

  3. Give an order to one person (tu). Put the verb in brackets in the imperative.

    ___ attention ! (faire – tu)

    1. Tu fais attention !
    2. Fais attention !
    3. Faisons attention !
    4. Fait attention !
    Show the answer

    Fais attention !

    Imperative (tu): the subject is dropped → “Fais attention !”

  4. Give an order to one person (tu). Put the verb in brackets in the imperative.

    ___ bonjour ! (dire – tu)

    1. Dites bonjour !
    2. Disons bonjour !
    3. Dis bonjour !
    4. Dit bonjour !
    Show the answer

    Dis bonjour !

    Imperative (tu): the subject is dropped → “Dis bonjour !”

  5. Give an order to one person (tu). Put the verb in brackets in the imperative.

    ___ ton manteau ! (prendre – tu)

    1. Prends ton manteau !
    2. Prenez ton manteau !
    3. Prenons ton manteau !
    4. Prend ton manteau !
    Show the answer

    Prends ton manteau !

    Imperative (tu): the subject is dropped → “Prends ton manteau !”

  6. Give an order to one person (tu). Put the verb in brackets in the imperative.

    ___ ta pomme ! (manger – tu)

    1. Mangeons ta pomme !
    2. Mange ta pomme !
    3. Manges ta pomme !
    4. Tu manges ta pomme !
    Show the answer

    Mange ta pomme !

    Imperative (tu): the subject is dropped → “Mange ta pomme !”. Verb in -er with tu: no s.

  7. Give an order to one person (tu). Put the verb in brackets in the imperative.

    ___ ce colis à Léa ! (donner – tu)

    1. Donne ce colis à Léa !
    2. Donnons ce colis à Léa !
    3. Donnes ce colis à Léa !
    4. Tu donnes ce colis à Léa !
    Show the answer

    Donne ce colis à Léa !

    Imperative (tu): the subject is dropped → “Donne ce colis à Léa !”. Verb in -er with tu: no s.

  8. Give an order to one person (tu). Put the verb in brackets in the imperative.

    ___ ici ! (attendre – tu)

    1. Attends ici !
    2. Tu attends ici !
    3. Attend ici !
    4. Attendons ici !
    Show the answer

    Attends ici !

    Imperative (tu): the subject is dropped → “Attends ici !”

Practise this topic

45 exercises in the workshop.