The French Imperative (L’impératif)

The imperative mood is used to express orders, prohibitions, advice, or requests. While it exists in both the present and past tenses, the present imperative is the form you will use most often.

1. Structure and Persons

The imperative is unique because it never uses a subject pronoun (like tu, nous, or vous). It is conjugated for only three persons:

• Second person singular (tu): Regarde ! (Look!)
• First person plural (nous): Regardons ! (Let's look!)
• Second person plural (vous): Regardez ! (Look! / Look, everyone!)

2. Conjugation Rules

For most verbs, the imperative forms are identical to the present indicative:

• tu finis → Finis ! (Finish!)
• nous faisons → Faisons ! (Let's do it!)
• vous faites → Faites ! (Do it!)

The Spelling Rule: For verbs ending in -er and some others like ouvrir, if the tu form of the present indicative ends in -es, you must drop the final -s in the imperative:

• tu travailles → Travaille ! (Work!)
• tu ouvres → Ouvre ! (Open!)

3. Common Usages

The imperative is versatile and can express different intentions:

• An order: Dépêchons-nous ! (Let's hurry!)
• A prohibition: Ne touchez pas à ça ! (Don't touch that!)
• A wish: Passez de bonnes vacances ! (Have a good vacation!)
• A polite request: Prêtez-moi un stylo, s’il vous plaît ! (Lend me a pen, please!)

4. Time and Reinforcement

The imperative usually refers to the immediate future (Ferme la porte ! / Close the door!), but it can also refer to a distant future:

Quand vous serez arrivés à Bruxelles, téléphonez-nous ! (When you have arrived in Brussels, call us!)

You can reinforce an imperative using words like donc or attention:

Fais donc attention ! (Do pay attention! / Be careful then!)

5. Politeness with "Veuillez"

In formal or written French, the imperative of vouloir is used as Veuillez to make very polite requests:

• Veuillez vous asseoir, Madame. (Please be seated, Madam.)
• Veuillez agréer, Monsieur, l’expression de ma considération distinguée. (Please accept, Sir, the expression of my distinguished consideration — A standard formal letter closing.)