Imperative Mood in French

Overview

The imperative mood, called l'imperatif in French, is how you give commands, make requests, offer invitations, and give instructions. It is one of the most direct and practical grammar points at the A2 level, and you will use it in everyday situations -- from telling someone to sit down to suggesting "let's go!"

What makes the imperative distinctive is that it has only three forms: tu (informal singular), nous (let's), and vous (formal or plural). The subject pronoun is dropped entirely, so the verb stands alone as the command.

One important quirk to remember: for -er verbs, the tu form drops the final -s. You say parle! (speak!), not parles!. This small detail trips up many learners but becomes second nature with practice.

How It Works

Verb Type	tu	nous	vous
-er verbs (parler)	parle!	parlons!	parlez!
-ir verbs (finir)	finis!	finissons!	finissez!
-re verbs (attendre)	attends!	attendons!	attendez!

Irregular imperative forms

Verb	tu	nous	vous
etre (to be)	sois!	soyons!	soyez!
avoir (to have)	aie!	ayons!	ayez!
savoir (to know)	sache!	sachons!	sachez!
vouloir (to want)	veuille!	veuillons!	veuillez!

Key rules:

• No subject pronoun: say Mange! not Tu mange!
• The -s returns for tu form -er verbs before y and en: Manges-en! Vas-y!
• Negative imperative: Ne parle pas! Ne mangez pas!
• Reflexive verbs in the imperative: Leve-toi! (affirmative) / Ne te leve pas! (negative)

Examples in Context

French	English	Note
Parle plus fort!	Speak louder!	Tu form, -er verb (no -s)
Finissez vos devoirs!	Finish your homework!	Vous form
Allons-y!	Let's go!	Nous form with y
Sois gentil!	Be nice!	Irregular: etre
Ecoute-moi!	Listen to me!	Tu form with pronoun
Ne touche pas!	Don't touch!	Negative imperative
Asseyez-vous!	Sit down!	Reflexive, vous form
Aie confiance!	Have confidence!	Irregular: avoir
Faisons une pause.	Let's take a break.	Nous form suggestion
Veuillez patienter.	Please wait.	Very formal (vouloir)
Ne t'inquiete pas!	Don't worry!	Negative reflexive, tu form
Regardez!	Look!	Simple command

Common Mistakes

Keeping the -s on tu form -er verbs

• Wrong: Parles plus fort!
• Right: Parle plus fort!
• Why: In the imperative, -er verbs drop the final -s in the tu form. This is a spelling rule, not a pronunciation change.

Including the subject pronoun

• Wrong: Tu mange tes legumes!
• Right: Mange tes legumes!
• Why: The imperative drops the subject pronoun entirely. The verb form alone tells the listener who is being addressed.

Wrong pronoun placement in negative reflexive commands

• Wrong: Ne leve-toi pas!
• Right: Ne te leve pas!
• Why: In negative commands, the reflexive pronoun moves back to its normal position between ne and the verb. Only in affirmative commands does it follow the verb with a hyphen.

Forgetting the -s returns before y and en

• Wrong: Va-y!
• Right: Vas-y!
• Why: For pronunciation ease, the -s returns when the tu form -er verb is followed by y or en.

Practice Tips

1. Practice giving directions to an imaginary friend using the tu form: Tourne a gauche, continue tout droit, prends la deuxieme rue a droite. Then redo the same directions using the vous form.
2. Write a simple recipe using the imperative -- this is how real French recipes are written. Melangez la farine et le sucre, ajoutez les oeufs, versez dans le moule.
3. Practice switching between affirmative and negative commands with reflexive verbs: Leve-toi! / Ne te leve pas! until the pronoun placement feels automatic.

Related Concepts

• Regular -ER Verbs -- the base conjugation patterns that the imperative builds on