French grammar · Elementary (A2)
The imperative: giving instructions
How to tell someone to do or not to do something with the tu, vous and nous forms, and where pronouns go.
Three forms
The imperative is the verb form for instructions, advice and invitations. It has three forms, taken from the present tense without the subject: , and . The form means “let's”.
In the form, -er verbs and drop the final s: becomes , becomes . Other verbs keep it: , , .
| Infinitive | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Être, avoir and a few others
and have special forms, and so do and . You'll hear in formal notices, meaning “please”.
| Infinitive | |||
|---|---|---|---|
- Sois prudent.Be careful. (to a man)
- N'ayez pas peur.Don't be afraid.
- Veuillez patienter.Please wait.
Negative instructions
To say “don't”, put ne… pas around the verb:
- Ne tournez pas à gauche.Don't turn left.
- Ne mange pas trop vite.Don't eat too fast.
Pronouns and reflexive verbs
In a positive instruction, pronouns come after the verb, joined by a hyphen, and and become and : , , , . In a negative instruction, they stay in their usual place before the verb: , , .
Before and , the form of -er verbs and gets its s back, for the sound: (Go on), (Eat some).
- Asseyez-vous, s'il vous plaît.Please sit down.
- Ne vous inquiétez pas.Don't worry.
- Attends-moi.Wait for me.
- Vas-y.Go on.