Lesson 8 - Grammar 4 - Imperatives
Examples: |
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Alors, choisissez l'Atlantique. |
Partez vite, alors. |
Allons, faites un effort. |
Permettez-moi de vous présenter Monsieur Lelong. |
Transmettez-leur mon meilleur souvenir. |
Excusez-moi. |
Dites-moi que nous allons au café. |
Réveillez-moi à six heures et demie. |
Verb forms in ‘ez’ occurring initially and neither preceded nor followed by the subject pronoun ‘vous’ are used to indicate a request or a command.
French / Français | English / Anglais |
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Vous parlez français. | You're speaking French. / You speak French |
Parlez français. | Speak French. |
Such constructions are called imperatives (impératif).
Similarly, ‘ons’ forms in the same frame are regarded as imperatives, with the meaning ‘Let ' s …’
French / Français | English / Anglais |
---|---|
Parlons français. | Let's speak French. |
Allons dans le Midi. | Let's go to the south of France. |
Four verbs have special imperative stems:
French / Français | English / Anglais | French / Français | English / Anglais |
---|---|---|---|
avoir | to have | Ayez de la monnaie. | Have change. |
Ayons un enfant. | Let's have a child | ||
être | to be | Soyez en avance. | Be early. |
Soyons fous. | Let's be crazy. / Let's go wild. |
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savoir | to know | Sachez ce que vous voulez. | Know what you want. |
Sachons dire non. | Let's say "no" | ||
vouloir | to want | Veuillez me suivre. | Please follow me. |
Veuillons | (form rarely used) |
Object pronouns follow affirmative imperatives and precede negative imperatives:
French / Français | English / Anglais |
---|---|
Parlez-lui ce soir. | Speak to him tonight. |
Ne lui parlez pas ce soir. | Don't speak to him tonight. |
Donnons-lui le numéro. | Let's give him the number. |
Ne lui donnons pas le numéro. | Let's not give him the number. |