The Imperative (Giving Orders)

The imperative is used to give commands (telling someone to do something) or to make suggestions (like saying "let's...").

Examples:

• Regarde! (Look!)
• Allons-y! (Let's go!)
• Lisez! (Read!)

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How to Form the Imperative

1. When giving an order to one person (informally):

• Use the "tu" form of the verb, which is the 2nd person singular.

2. When giving an order to a group of people, or when including yourself (i.e., "Let's..."):

• Use the "nous" form of the verb, which is the 1st person plural.

3. When giving an order to a group of people or formally to one person:

• Use the "vous" form of the verb, which is the 2nd person plural or formal singular. Important Note: For er verbs (like parler), drop the final s in the tu form when using the imperative.

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Irregular Verbs

Irregular verbs follow the same structure, but some have special forms:

• Avoir: aie, ayons, ayez
• Être: sois, soyons, soyez
• Savoir: sache, sachons, sachez
• Vouloir: veuillez (this is the only form used)

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The Imperative with Reflexive Verbs

When you use reflexive verbs in the imperative (commands), the structure changes slightly from the normal verb forms. Here's how to do it correctly:

1. Reflexive Pronoun Placement: In the imperative, the reflexive pronoun (like me, te, se) comes after the verb instead of before. It is connected to the verb with a hyphen.

2. Special Change for "Tu": When giving a command using "tu," the reflexive pronoun te changes to toi in the imperative form.

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Steps Summary:

1. Identify the command you want to give in English.
2. Identify the verb in French, remembering that reflexive verbs have "se" or "s'" before the infinitive.
3. Identify the person you're addressing: tu (informal you), vous (formal you or plural you), or nous (we).
4. Identify the verb ending: -er, -ir, -re, or irregular.
5. Form the imperative:

• For tu: Use the tu form, drop the final s for -er verbs, and change te to toi.
• For nous: Use the nous form and place nous after the verb with a hyphen.
• For vous: Use the vous form and place vous after the verb with a hyphen.

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Try it Out!

English Command	French Verb (Infinitive)	Person	Verb Ending	Present Tense Form	Imperative Form
Get up!	se lever	tu (informal "you")	-er	tu te lèves	Lève-toi! (Drop -s, change te to toi, add hyphen)
Let's wash!	se laver	nous (we)	-er	nous nous lavons	Lavons-nous! (Remove nous before the verb, add hyphen)
Sit down! (formal/plural)	s'asseoir	vous (formal/plural "you")	irregular	vous vous asseyez	Asseyez-vous! (Remove vous before the verb, add hyphen)
Don't worry!	s'inquiéter	tu (informal "you")	-er	tu t'inquiètes	Ne t'inquiète pas! (Keep te before the verb, add ne and pas)
Let's have fun!	s'amuser	nous (we)	-er	nous nous amusons	Amusons-nous! (Remove nous before the verb, add hyphen)
Wake up!	se réveiller	tu (informal "you")	-er	tu te réveilles	Réveille-toi! (Drop -s, change te to toi, add hyphen)
Let's sit down!	s'asseoir	nous (we)	irregular	nous nous asseyons	Asseyons-nous! (Remove nous before the verb, add hyphen)
Get dressed!	s'habiller	tu (informal "you")	-er	tu t'habilles	Habille-toi! (Drop -s, change te to toi, add hyphen)
Let's go away!	s'en aller	nous (we)	irregular	nous nous en allons	Allons-nous-en! (Remove nous before the verb, add hyphen)
Don't get upset!	se fâcher	vous (formal/plural "you")	-er	vous vous fâchez	Ne vous fâchez pas! (Keep vous before the verb, add ne and pas)
Go to bed!	se coucher	tu (informal "you")	-er	tu te couches	Couche-toi! (Drop -s, change te to toi, add hyphen)
Let's relax!	se détendre	nous (we)	-re	nous nous détendons	Détendons-nous! (Remove nous before the verb, add hyphen)
Wash your hands!	se laver	vous (formal/plural "you")	-er	vous vous lavez	Lavez-vous les mains! (Remove vous before the verb, add hyphen)
Don't get lost!	se perdre	tu (informal "you")	-re	tu te perds	Ne te perds pas! (Keep te before the verb, add ne and pas)
Let's meet up!	se retrouver	nous (we)	-er	nous nous retrouvons	Retrouvons-nous! (Remove nous before the verb, add hyphen)
Don't fall asleep!	s'endormir	vous (formal/plural "you")	-ir	vous vous endormez	Ne vous endormez pas! (Keep vous before the verb, add ne and pas)
Rest!	se reposer	tu (informal "you")	-er	tu te reposes	Repose-toi! (Drop -s, change te to toi, add hyphen)
Let's calm down!	se calmer	nous (we)	-er	nous nous calmons	Calmons-nous! (Remove nous before the verb, add hyphen)
Get ready!	se préparer	vous (formal/plural "you")	-er	vous vous préparez	Préparez-vous! (Remove vous before the verb, add hyphen)
Don't hurt yourself!	se blesser	tu (informal "you")	-er	tu te blesses	Ne te blesse pas! (Keep te before the verb, add ne and pas)

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