The imperative lets you give instructions, orders, advice, or invitations: 'Écoute !', 'Regardez !', 'Mangeons !'. It only has three forms, and it looks almost like the present tense — minus the subject pronoun.
Three forms
Start from the present tense 'tu', 'nous', or 'vous' form and drop the subject.
| Form | Present | Imperative |
|---|---|---|
| tu (informal) | tu parles | parle ! |
| nous (let's) | nous parlons | parlons ! |
| vous (formal/plural) | vous parlez | parlez ! |
Être and avoir — irregular
Memorize these.
| être | avoir | |
|---|---|---|
| tu | sois | aie |
| nous | soyons | ayons |
| vous | soyez | ayez |
Negative commands
Wrap 'ne ... pas' around the verb — the structure is the same as regular negation, just without a subject.
- Ne parle pas ! — Don't talk!
- Ne soyez pas en retard. — Don't be late.
Give the 'tu' imperative of 'parler'
___
Give the 'vous' imperative of 'écouter'
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Give the 'nous' imperative of 'manger'
___
Give the 'tu' imperative of 'aller'
___
___ sage ! (être, tu)
___ patients ! (être, vous)
___ de la patience ! (avoir, vous)
Put in the negative imperative
Parle fort.
Which is the 'tu' imperative of 'manger'?
Which means 'Let's go!'?