The Imperative Mode in French
Giving Commands and Expressing Will in the French Language
Apr 8, 2009
Overall, the imperative mode serves as a way of imposing one’s own will on others. In the French language, giving commands is more difficult than in English, because forms of particular verbs depend on a number of factors.
Giving Commands in French
In order to communicate commands, language users must speak in a confident tone, and in writing they must use exclamations marks at the end of the verb in imperative mode. While commands are usually given in the second and third person; the first person is used mostly for making suggestions: Allons! – Let’s go, e.g.
In French, forms of verbs are only slightly changed when in the imperative mode – the verbs from 1st conjugative group lose “s” at the end of the word:
- Chante! Chantons! Chantez!
Verbs from the 2nd and 3rd conjugative groups remain unchanged:
- Finis! Finissons! Finissez!
- Reponds! Repondons! Repondez!
The left out “s” returns to the 1st group verb in case it’s used along with one of the pronouns en and y:
Example: The verb “aller” takes the verb of “va” in the imperative mode, but when used with the pronoun y – it takes the form of “vas-y”, rather than *"va y" which is grammatically incorrect.
However, when used in negation – the “s” is, again, left out: “n’y va pas” – this is because in this case the pronoun y is used before the verb and not after it.
The Imperative Mode in French and Personal Pronouns
The imperative mode is very often used along various personal pronouns that specify the meaning of particular command and restrict it to some situational context:
Personal pronouns are placed after the verb in imperative mode:
- Lave-toi! Rends-le-moi! – the indirect object precedes the direct object.
When in the negative form, the personal pronoun is placed before the verb:
- Ne te lave pas! Ne me le rends pas! – the direct object precedes the indirect object.
The Imperative Mode in French and Infinitives
If a command contains two verbs – one in imperative and another in infinitive forms – the former always precedes the latter:
Regardez-la nous imitier! Ne la regarde pas nous imitier!
The same rule applies to verbs “laisser” (to leave) and “faire” (to do). Apart from their basic meaning, both are used in the sense of “to let someone do something” and “to have/make someone do something”, respectively:
- Laissez-la le faire – Let her do it;
- Fais-les manger – Make them eat.
Irregular Forms of the Imperative Mode in French
There’s a number of verbs in the French language, which assume irregular forms in the imperative mode, such as:
- Étre – sois, soyons, soyez; (to be)
- Avoir – aie, ayons, ayez; (to have)
- Savoir – sache, sachons, sachez. (to know)
Learning how to use the imperative mode in French is not very easy, mostly due to a big number of rules concerning the position of pronouns in commands. It should be, therefore, studied gradually and only after acquiring a decent grasp of the way direct and indirect objects work in French sentences in general.
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