Understanding the l'impératif présent: Formation and implementation

L'impératif présent or the present imperative is a verbal mood used to give orders, instructions or express wishes in a direct way. It is mainly used in the second person singular and plural (tu, vous), as well as in the first person plural (we) to express an invitation. To form the present imperative, we use the verbal base of the verb second person singular (you) and plural (you). It makes it possible to express instructions or requests in a direct and concise manner.

On this page you will find

»Usage of the l'impératif présent
» Formation of the l'impératif présent

Usage of the l'impératif présent

The present imperative is used in different situations to give orders, instructions or express wishes in a direct way. Here are some common examples of the use of the present imperative:

Giving orders or instructions: Ferme la porte ! (Close the door !) Éteignez vos téléphones ! (Turn off your phones!) Fais tes devoirs ! '(Do your homework !) Arrête de parler ! (Stop talking !)	Exprimer des souhaits ou des conseils : Amuse-toi bien ! (Have fun !) Profitez de votre journée ! (Enjoy your day !) Soyez prudents ! (Be careful !) Calme-toi ! (Calm down !)
Give directions or instructions: Tourne à gauche (Turn left.). Prends la première rue à droite. (Take the first street on the right.) Attends ton tour. (Wait for your turn.) Ouvre la boîte.(Open the box.)	Make polite invitations or requests: Asseyez-vous, s'il vous plaît.(Sit down, please.) Passez me voir quand vous avez le temps.(Come see me when you have time.) Prête-moi ton stylo, s'il te plaît. (Lend me your pen, please.) Donnez-moi votre avis. (Give me your opinion.)
Use with pronominal verbs:: Lave-toi les mains. (Wash your hands.) Regardez-vous dans le miroir. (Look at yourself in the mirror.) Ne vous inquiétez pas. (Don't worry.)

The present imperative is generally used to address one or more people in a direct and concise manner. It is important to consider the context and tone of the situation to use the appropriate imperative in a respectful and polite manner.

Formation of the l'impératif présent

The formation of the present imperative varies depending on the verb group to which the verb in question belongs. Here are the different formations of the present imperative for each group of verbs:

Verbs of the first group (-er):
- To form the present imperative in the second person singular (tu), we use the verb base of the verb in the infinitive without the ending "-er". Example: Parler (tu) → Parle.
- To form the present imperative in the first person plural (we), we use the first person plural of the present indicative without the pronoun "we". Example: Parler (nous) → Parlons.
- To form the present imperative in the second person plural (vous), we also use the verb base of the verb in the infinitive without the ending "-er". Example:Parler (vous) → Parlez.
Verbs of the second group (-ir):
- To form the present imperative in the second person singular (tu), we use the verb base of the verb in the infinitive without the ending "-ir". Example: Finir (tu) → Finis.
- To form the present imperative in the first person plural (we), we use the first person plural of the present indicative without the pronoun "we". Example: Finir (nous) → Finissons.
- To form the present imperative in the second person plural (vous), we add the ending "-issez" to the verb base of the verb in the infinitive. Example: Finir (vous) → Finissez.
Third group verbs:
- The formation of the present imperative for third group verbs is often irregular and varies by verb. Some verbs have specific forms to learn individually. For example :
  - Être (tu) → Sois
  - Avoir (tu) → Aie
  - Aller (tu) → Va
  - Vouloir (tu) → Veux
  - Savoir (tu) → Sache

It is important to note that complement pronouns such as "me", "te", "nous", "vous" are often used with the present imperative and are placed after the verb. Example: Look at me, Listen to him, Get up.

There are also irregular forms for some verbs. It is therefore necessary to consult the specific conjugations of irregular verbs for the present imperative.

» Check out the other tenses of the imperative