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 ## Footnote 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 ## Footnote 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! ## Footnote 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! ## Footnote 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 ## Footnote 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_ ## Footnote 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 ## Footnote 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_ ## Footnote 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 ## Footnote 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 ## Footnote 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_ ## Footnote 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_ ## Footnote 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 ## Footnote 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 ## Footnote 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_ ## Footnote traffic - *la circulation*

Question 41

# Translate to French: The car _slowed down_ before turning

Answer 41

La voiture _a ralenti_ avant de tourner ## Footnote 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_ ## Footnote 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? ## Footnote 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 ## Footnote 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_ ## Footnote 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 ## Footnote 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 ## Footnote 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_ ## Footnote 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? ## Footnote 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_ ## Footnote 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_ ## Footnote 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 ## Footnote 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_ ## Footnote 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_ ## Footnote 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_ ## Footnote 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 ## Footnote 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 ## Footnote 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? ## Footnote 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_! ## Footnote a stay - *un séjour*

Question 60

# Translate to French: Have a nice trip!

Answer 60

Nous vous souhaitons un agréable voyage! ## Footnote 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!*