Lesson 14

Question 1

What is the imperative?

Answer 1

The imperative mood (or l’impératif) is primarily used to express commands. It is used for requests, directions, advice, and suggestions.

Question 2

How do you conjugate the imperative?

Answer 2

Each verb has only three conjugations in the imperative. Conjugations are formed by taking the tu, nous, or vous forms of the present tense. Subject pronouns are not used in the imperative.

Question 3

Translate to French:

Let’s go to the concert!

Answer 3

Allons au concert!

Note the first-person plural conjugation of aller in the imperative. The subject pronoun nous is not used, and the verb is conjugated just as it is in the present tense.

Question 4

Translate to French:

Do your homework

Answer 4

Fais tes devoirs

Note the second-person singular form of faire in the imperative, which is the same as its second-person singular form in the present.

Question 5

Translate to French:

(to multiple people) Drink some water!

Answer 5

Buvez de l’eau!

Note the second-person plural form of boire in the imperative, which is the same as the second-person plural form in the present tense.

Question 6

Translate to French:

Let’s finish our work

Answer 6

Finissons notre travail

Note the first-person plural conjugation of finir in the imperative, which is the same as the first-person plural form in the present tense.

Question 7

Translate to French:

Give the chair to Marie

Answer 7

Donne la chaise à Marie

For -ER verbs in the imperative, the “s” is dropped from the second-person singular form of the present.

Question 8

Translate to French:

Speak!

Answer 8

Parle!

The tu forms of -ER verbs do not take the “s” from their tu forms in the present tense.

Question 9

Translate to French:

Open the box, please

Answer 9

Ouvre la boîte, s’il te plaît

For all verbs that are conjugated like -ER verbs (like ouvrir), the tu form in the present ends in -es, so in the imperative the “s” is deleted.

Question 10

Translate to French:

Talk about it

Answer 10

Parles-en

Before the pronouns en and y, the second-person singular imperative of -ER verbs takes an “s.” In other words, the present tense tu form is used.

Question 11

Translate to French:

Go there!

Answer 11

Vas-y!

The tu form of aller in the imperative usually does not have an “s,” but it does here before the pronoun y.

Question 12

Translate to French:

Know the truth

Answer 12

Sache la vérité

Note the irregular imperative of savoir. The nous form is sachons, while the vous form is sachez.

Question 13

Translate to French:

(to kids) Be good/well-behaved

Answer 13

Soyez sages

Note the irregular imperative of être. The tu form is sois, while the nous form is soyons.

Question 14

Translate to French:

Have some patience

Answer 14

Aie de la patience

Note the irregular imperative of avoir. The nous form is ayons, while the vous form is ayez.

Question 15

Translate to French:

(formal) Please excuse me

Answer 15

Veuillez m’excuser

The irregular imperative vous form of vouloir, veuillez, is commonly used to politely request something. It can thus be translated as “if you would be so kind (to),” “please,” and “would you.”

Question 16

Translate to French:

If you would be so kind to sit down

Answer 16

Veuillez vous asseoir

The imperative vous form of vouloir can be either voulez or the irregular veuillez. The tu form can be either veux or veuille. The nous form, voulons, is almost never used. The literal translation here would be “Want to excuse me.”

Question 17

Translate to French:

Get up! Let’s get up!

Answer 17

Lève-toi! Levons-nous!

For reflexive verbs in the imperative, the reflexive pronoun comes after the verb, joined by a hyphen. The reflexive pronoun te becomes toi in the imperative.

Question 18

Translate to French:

Don’t listen!

Answer 18

N’écoute pas!

Note how the basic negative construction ne… pas surrounds the verb in the imperative.

Question 19

Translate to French:

Never talk like that!

Answer 19

Ne parle jamais comme ça!

Note the use of the negative construction ne… jamais with the imperative.

Question 20

Translate to French:

Let’s wash ourselves. Let’s not wash ourselves

Answer 20

Lavons-nous. Ne nous lavons pas

In the negative imperative of reflexive verbs, the reflexive pronoun (nous in this case) comes before the verb.

Question 21

Translate to French:

You haven’t finished your potatoes? Finish them!

Answer 21

Tu n’as pas fini tes pommes de terre? Finis-les!

Object pronouns are placed after affirmative commands, linked to the verb with a hyphen. The affirmative imperative is the only tense for which object pronouns go after the verb.

Question 22

Translate to French:

Give the book to Jean. Give it to Jean

Answer 22

Donne le livre à Jean. Donne-le à Jean

Note how the object pronoun comes after the affirmative command, linked to it by a hyphen.

Question 23

Translate to French:

Adore me!

Answer 23

Adorez-moi!

The object pronouns me and te change to moi and toi after an affirmative command.

Question 24

Translate to French:

Tell me

Answer 24

Dis-moi

Note how the object pronoun me is changed to moi, and comes after the verb, joined to it by a hyphen.

Question 25

Translate to French:

Pass him the fork

Answer 25

Passez-lui la fourchette

Note how the object pronoun lui comes after the verb in the (affirmative) imperative.

Question 26

Translate to French:

(formal) Don’t call me when I’m at work

Answer 26

Ne m’appelez pas quand je suis au travail

Recall that the affirmative imperative is the only tense for which object pronouns come after the verb. For negative commands, object pronouns are placed before the verb. Here, m’ precedes the verb.

Question 27

Translate to French:

The apple? Don’t give it to the baby!

Answer 27

La pomme? Ne la donne pas au bébé!

Note how the object pronoun (la) is placed before the verb, which is in the negative imperative.

Question 28

Translate to French:

Never talk to me like that!

Answer 28

Ne me parle jamais comme ça!

Because the verb is in the negative imperative, the object pronoun comes before the verb.

Question 29

Translate to French:

(formal) Pass me the stapler, please

Answer 29

Passez-moi l’agrafeuse, s’il vous plaît

Note how the imperative is used here to make a request.

Question 30

Translate to French:

Then, turn to the left

Answer 30

Ensuite, tournez sur la gauche

Notice how sur is used with the imperative of tourner to mean “to.” Another option would be tournez à gauche – “turn left.”

Question 31

Translate to French:

If Paul is at his house, give him the present

Answer 31

Si Paul est chez lui, donnez-lui le cadeau

Recall that if a si clause is in the present, the main verb can be in the present, future, or imperative.

Question 32

Translate to French:

To arrive at the Eiffel Tower, turn right and then continue straight ahead

Answer 32

Pour arriver à la tour Eiffel, tournez à droite et puis continuez tout droit

Note the use of the imperative for directions. The vous form is commonly used since it’s more polite, but using the tu form with friends is perfectly acceptable.

Question 33

Translate to French:

At the next intersection, turn left

Answer 33

Au prochain carrefour, tournez à gauche

an intersection - un carrefour, un croisement

Question 34

Translate to French:

It is at least 300 kilometers from here to Marseille by car

Answer 34

Ça fait au moins 300 kilomètres d’ici à Marseille en voiture

Note how the verb faire is used to express distances.

Question 35

Translate to French:

My mom has my car. I’ll have to go there by foot

Answer 35

Ma mère a ma voiture. Je devrai y aller à pied

on/by foot - à pied. Recall that most other means of transportation are introduced by the preposition en.

Question 36

Translate to French:

It’s expensive to go from Italy to Greece by plane

Answer 36

C’est cher d’aller d’Italie en Grèce en avion

by plane - en avion

Question 37

Translate to French:

Jean is looking to ask someone for directions

Answer 37

Jean cherche à demander son chemin à quelqu’un

to ask for directions - demander son chemin

Question 38

Translate to French:

At what stop must you get off to go to the Eiffel Tower?

Answer 38

À quel arrêt faut-il descendre pour aller à la tour Eiffel?

Question 39

Translate to French:

This car has a very loud horn

Answer 39

Cette voiture a un klaxon très fort

a (car) horn - un klaxon. Note that fort can mean both “strong” and “loud.”

Question 40

Translate to French:

Jean doesn’t like driving to work because there’s always too much traffic

Answer 40

Jean n’aime pas aller au travail en voiture parce qu’il y a toujours trop de circulation

traffic - la circulation

Question 41

Translate to French:

The car slowed down before turning

Answer 41

La voiture a ralenti avant de tourner

to slow down - ralentir

Question 42

Translate to French:

I am late because of a traffic jam

Answer 42

Je suis en retard à cause d’un embouteillage

a traffic jam - un embouteillage. This word is similar to the English word “bottleneck” in that it is closely related to the word for “bottle,” bouteille.

Question 43

Translate to French:

Is there a highway between Paris and Marseille?

Answer 43

Est-ce qu’il y a une autoroute entre Paris et Marseille?

a freeway, a highway - une autoroute

Question 44

Translate to French:

The speed limit on this highway changes very often

Answer 44

La limitation de vitesse sur cette autoroute change très souvent

a speed limit - une limitation de vitesse. Vitesse, “speed,” is a feminine noun.

Question 45

Translate to French:

I do not like driving on the highway. There are too many trucks

Answer 45

Je n’aime pas conduire sur l’autoroute. Il y a trop de camions

a truck - un camion

Question 46

Translate to French:

The majority of Parisians prefer motorcycles over cars

Answer 46

La plupart des Parisiens préfèrent les motos aux voitures

a motorcycle - une moto(cyclette). Note how the verb is in the third-person plural, corresponding with les Parisiens rather than with la plupart.

Question 47

Translate to French:

There is a shuttle between the airport and the hotel

Answer 47

Il y a une navette entre l’aéroport et l’hôtel

a shuttle - une navette. “A space shuttle” is une navette spatiale.

Question 48

Translate to French:

We’ve been driving for six hours. The car needs gas

Answer 48

On conduit depuis six heures. La voiture a besoin d’essence

gas (for a car) - l’essence. This is a feminine noun. Note that “gas” in general (vapor and/or what’s needed for heating) is gaz, a masculine noun.

Question 49

Translate to French:

Where is the closest gas station?

Answer 49

Où se trouve la station-service la plus proche?

a gas station - une station-service, une station essence

Question 50

Translate to French:

To go to Toulon, take the next exit

Answer 50

Pour aller à Toulon, prenez la prochaine sortie

an exit - une sortie. Note that une sortie can also be the exit to a building.

Question 51

Translate to French:

I think the Rue de Vaugirard is one-way

Answer 51

Je crois que la rue de Vaugirard est à sens unique

one-way - à sens unique

Question 52

Translate to French:

Marie just bought new tires for her car

Answer 52

Marie vient d’acheter des nouveaux pneus pour sa voiture

a tire - un pneu

Question 53

Translate to French:

I saw that he had a flat tire

Answer 53

J’ai vu qu’il avait un pneu crevé

a flat tire - un pneu crevé

Question 54

Translate to French:

I put your suitcases in the trunk

Answer 54

J’ai mis tes valises dans le coffre

a trunk - un coffre. This term applies both to the trunk of a car and a large box for storage.

Question 55

Translate to French:

If there is a problem with the car, you must check under the hood

Answer 55

S’il y a un problème avec la voiture, il faut vérifier sous le capot

the hood (of a car) - le capot

Question 56

Translate to French:

I had to go to the hospital when I got sick last week

Answer 56

J’ai dû aller à l’hôpital quand je suis tombé malade la semaine dernière

a hospital - un hôpital. Recall that “to become sick” is tomber malade.

Question 57

Translate to French:

We’re out of food. Please go to the grocery store

Answer 57

On n’a plus de nourriture. Allez à l’épicerie, s’il vous plaît

a grocery store - une épicerie

Question 58

Translate to French:

What are the business hours of this store?

Answer 58

Quelles sont les heures ouvrables de ce magasin?

business hours - heures ouvrables. The term heures d’ouverture is also used, although it technically means “opening times” or “opening hours.”

Question 59

Translate to French:

Enjoy your stay!

Answer 59

Bon séjour!

a stay - un séjour

Question 60

Translate to French:

Have a nice trip!

Answer 60

Nous vous souhaitons un agréable voyage!

Have a nice/good trip - Nous vous souhaitons un agréable/bon voyage. The literal translation of this expression is “We wish you a nice/good trip.” It’s common to shorten it to simply Bon voyage!