Lesson 14 Flashcards
This deck focuses on the imperative. It also covers words and phrases dealing with transportation and directions.
What is the imperative?
The imperative mood (or l’impératif) is primarily used to express commands. It is used for requests, directions, advice, and suggestions.
How do you conjugate the imperative?
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.
Translate to French:
Let’s go to the concert!
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.
Translate to French:
Do your homework
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.
Translate to French:
(to multiple people) Drink some water!
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.
Translate to French:
Let’s finish our work
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.
Translate to French:
Give the chair to Marie
Donne la chaise à Marie
For -ER verbs in the imperative, the “s” is dropped from the second-person singular form of the present.
Translate to French:
Speak!
Parle!
The tu forms of -ER verbs do not take the “s” from their tu forms in the present tense.
Translate to French:
Open the box, please
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.
Translate to French:
Talk about it
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.
Translate to French:
Go there!
Vas-y!
The tu form of aller in the imperative usually does not have an “s,” but it does here before the pronoun y.
Translate to French:
Know the truth
Sache la vérité
Note the irregular imperative of savoir. The nous form is sachons, while the vous form is sachez.
Translate to French:
(to kids) Be good/well-behaved
Soyez sages
Note the irregular imperative of être. The tu form is sois, while the nous form is soyons.
Translate to French:
Have some patience
Aie de la patience
Note the irregular imperative of avoir. The nous form is ayons, while the vous form is ayez.
Translate to French:
(formal) Please excuse me
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.”
Translate to French:
If you would be so kind to sit down
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.”
Translate to French:
Get up! Let’s get up!
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.
Translate to French:
Don’t listen!
N’écoute pas!
Note how the basic negative construction ne… pas surrounds the verb in the imperative.
Translate to French:
Never talk like that!
Ne parle jamais comme ça!
Note the use of the negative construction ne… jamais with the imperative.
Translate to French:
Let’s wash ourselves. Let’s not wash ourselves
Lavons-nous. Ne nous lavons pas
In the negative imperative of reflexive verbs, the reflexive pronoun (nous in this case) comes before the verb.
Translate to French:
You haven’t finished your potatoes? Finish them!
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.
Translate to French:
Give the book to Jean. Give it to Jean
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.
Translate to French:
Adore me!
Adorez-moi!
The object pronouns me and te change to moi and toi after an affirmative command.
Translate to French:
Tell me
Dis-moi
Note how the object pronoun me is changed to moi, and comes after the verb, joined to it by a hyphen.
Translate to French:
Pass him the fork
Passez-lui la fourchette
Note how the object pronoun lui comes after the verb in the (affirmative) imperative.
Translate to French:
(formal) Don’t call me when I’m at work
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.
Translate to French:
The apple? Don’t give it to the baby!
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.
Translate to French:
Never talk to me like that!
Ne me parle jamais comme ça!
Because the verb is in the negative imperative, the object pronoun comes before the verb.
Translate to French:
(formal) Pass me the stapler, please
Passez-moi l’agrafeuse, s’il vous plaît
Note how the imperative is used here to make a request.
Translate to French:
Then, turn to the left
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.”
Translate to French:
If Paul is at his house, give him the present
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.
Translate to French:
To arrive at the Eiffel Tower, turn right and then continue straight ahead
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.
Translate to French:
At the next intersection, turn left
Au prochain carrefour, tournez à gauche
an intersection - un carrefour, un croisement
Translate to French:
It is at least 300 kilometers from here to Marseille by car
Ça fait au moins 300 kilomètres d’ici à Marseille en voiture
Note how the verb faire is used to express distances.
Translate to French:
My mom has my car. I’ll have to go there by foot
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.
Translate to French:
It’s expensive to go from Italy to Greece by plane
C’est cher d’aller d’Italie en Grèce en avion
by plane - en avion
Translate to French:
Jean is looking to ask someone for directions
Jean cherche à demander son chemin à quelqu’un
to ask for directions - demander son chemin
Translate to French:
At what stop must you get off to go to the Eiffel Tower?
À quel arrêt faut-il descendre pour aller à la tour Eiffel?
Translate to French:
This car has a very loud horn
Cette voiture a un klaxon très fort
a (car) horn - un klaxon. Note that fort can mean both “strong” and “loud.”
Translate to French:
Jean doesn’t like driving to work because there’s always too much traffic
Jean n’aime pas aller au travail en voiture parce qu’il y a toujours trop de circulation
traffic - la circulation
Translate to French:
The car slowed down before turning
La voiture a ralenti avant de tourner
to slow down - ralentir
Translate to French:
I am late because of a traffic jam
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.
Translate to French:
Is there a highway between Paris and Marseille?
Est-ce qu’il y a une autoroute entre Paris et Marseille?
a freeway, a highway - une autoroute
Translate to French:
The speed limit on this highway changes very often
La limitation de vitesse sur cette autoroute change très souvent
a speed limit - une limitation de vitesse. Vitesse, “speed,” is a feminine noun.
Translate to French:
I do not like driving on the highway. There are too many trucks
Je n’aime pas conduire sur l’autoroute. Il y a trop de camions
a truck - un camion
Translate to French:
The majority of Parisians prefer motorcycles over cars
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.
Translate to French:
There is a shuttle between the airport and the hotel
Il y a une navette entre l’aéroport et l’hôtel
a shuttle - une navette. “A space shuttle” is une navette spatiale.
Translate to French:
We’ve been driving for six hours. The car needs gas
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.
Translate to French:
Where is the closest gas station?
Où se trouve la station-service la plus proche?
a gas station - une station-service, une station essence
Translate to French:
To go to Toulon, take the next exit
Pour aller à Toulon, prenez la prochaine sortie
an exit - une sortie. Note that une sortie can also be the exit to a building.
Translate to French:
I think the Rue de Vaugirard is one-way
Je crois que la rue de Vaugirard est à sens unique
one-way - à sens unique
Translate to French:
Marie just bought new tires for her car
Marie vient d’acheter des nouveaux pneus pour sa voiture
a tire - un pneu
Translate to French:
I saw that he had a flat tire
J’ai vu qu’il avait un pneu crevé
a flat tire - un pneu crevé
Translate to French:
I put your suitcases in the trunk
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.
Translate to French:
If there is a problem with the car, you must check under the hood
S’il y a un problème avec la voiture, il faut vérifier sous le capot
the hood (of a car) - le capot
Translate to French:
I had to go to the hospital when I got sick last week
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.
Translate to French:
We’re out of food. Please go to the grocery store
On n’a plus de nourriture. Allez à l’épicerie, s’il vous plaît
a grocery store - une épicerie
Translate to French:
What are the business hours of this store?
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.”
Translate to French:
Enjoy your stay!
Bon séjour!
a stay - un séjour
Translate to French:
Have a nice trip!
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!
