Our Day 38
Immersion – 38
Des commandes ou des impératifs
(Commands or Imperatives)
Note:
1.There are 3 ways of commanding
i) The familiar “tu” form (informal,singular)
ii) The polite “vous” form (formal, plural)
iii) The “nous” form
2.When giving a command don’t use the subject pronouns “tu”, “nous” or “vous”
3.In the “tu” form of all “-er” verbs drop the final ‘s’ when giving a command.
| Statement vs Imperative |
|---|
I) verbs used:
“-er” verbs : “rester” (rehs-tey) = to stay, to rest
”parler” (pahr-ley) = to speak
”manger” (maN-zhey) = to eat
| Form | Statement | Imperative |
|---|---|---|
| Tu | Tu restes ici(tew rehst ee-see)=you rest here. | Reste ici! (rehst ee-see)=Rest here! |
| Vous | Vous parlez franÇais (vooh pahr-leY frahN-Seh)= you speak French. | Parlez franÇais! (pahrleyfrahN-Seh)= Speak French! |
| Nous | Nous mangeons des frites(nooh mahN-zhoN dey freet)=we are eating (some) fries | Mangeons des frites!(mahN-zhoN dey freet)=Let’s eat (some) fries. |
II) Verbs used:
“-ir” verbs: “finir”(fee-neer) = to finish
“choisir” (shwah-zeer) = to chose
| Form | Statement | Command/Imperative |
|---|---|---|
| Tu |
1.Tu finis ton lait (tew fee-nee tohN leh)= You finish your milk 2. Tu choisis un CD (tew shwah-zee uhN sey-dey) = You choose a CD |
1.Finis ton lait (fee-nee tohN leh)
= Finish your milk 2.Choisis un CD (shwah-zee uhN sey-dey) = choose a CD |
| Vous | Vous finissez maintenant (vooh fee-nee-seh maN-tuh-nahN) = You finish now | Finissez maintenant (fee-nee-seh maN-tuh-nahN) = Finish now |
| Nous | Nous finissons maintenant (nooh fee-nee-zohN maN-tuh-nahN)= We are finishing now | Finissons maintenant (fee-nee-zohN maN-tuh-nahN)= Let us finish now |
III) Verbs used:
“-re” verbs: “rendre” (rahN-druh) = return, give back
| Form | Statement | Command/Imperative |
|---|---|---|
| Tu | Tu rendes les livres (tew rahN luy leev-ruh)= You give back the books | Rendes les livres (rahN luy leev-ruh)= Give back the books |
| Vous | Vous rendez les livres (vooh rahN-dey ley leev-ruh) =You give back the books | Rendez les livres (rahN-dey ley leev-ruh) =Give back the books |
| Nous | Nous rendons les livres (nooh rahN-dohN ley leev-ruh)= We are giving back the books. | Rendons les livres (rahN-dohN ley leev-ruh)= Let’s give back the books. |
IV) Irregular verbs
“faire” (fehr) = to do
“boire” (bwah) = to drink
| Form | Statement | Command/Imperative |
|---|---|---|
| Tu |
1.Tu fais le ménage (tew feh luh mey-nahzh) =You are doing the house work
2. Tu bois ton lait (tew bwah tohn lay)= You are drinking your milk. |
1.Fais le ménage (feh luh mey-nahzh) =Do the house work 2. Bois ton lait (bwah tohn lay) = Drink your milk. |
| Vous |
1. Vous faites le ménage (vooh feht luh mey-nahzh)= You are doing the house work. 2. Vous buvez votre lait (vooh bew-veh voh-truh lay)= You are drinking your milk |
1. Faites le ménage (feht luh mey-nahzh) = Do the house work.
2. Buvez votre lait (bew-veh voh-truh lay) Drink your milk. |
| Nous |
1. Nous faisons le ménage (nooh feh-zohN luh mey-nahzh) = We are doing the house work. 2. Nous buvons notre lait (nooh bew-vohN noh-truh lay) We are drinking our milk. |
1. Faisons le ménage (feh-zohN luh mey-nahzh) =Let’s do the house work. 2. Buvons notre lait (bew-vohN noh-truh lay) Let’s drink our milk. |
Negative Commands
Rule:
Wrap the “ne……….pas” (nuh……..pah) around the conjugated verb.
Example:
1. Ne téléphonez pas = Don’t telephone
2. N’invitons pas Peter = Let us not invite Peter
3. N’attendez pas Paul = Don’t wait for Paul
4. Ne fais pas la cusine. Sortons! = Don’t cook. Let’s go out.
5. Ne grossissez pas = Don’t put on weight
6. Ne mangez pas trop = Don’t eat too much
7. Ne fumez pas = Don’t smoke
Exercise 1: Change each of the following commands into its negativeform.
1. Réservez deux chambres = Reserve two rooms
2. Cherchez FranÇois = Look for FranÇois
3. Saisissez l’occasion = Seize the opportunity.
4. Choisissez la méthod = Choose the method
5. Prends les bagages = Take the luggage
6. Parlons franÇais = Let’s speak French
7. Écoutons la radio = Let’s listen to the radio
8. Finissons la rapport = Let’s finish the report.
9. Mangeons après le spectacle = Let’s eat after the show
10. Téléphonons avant 9 heures = Let’s telephone before 9 o’ clock.
Exercise 2: Fill up the following table of commands as directed.
| Group I verb | Meaning | Tu/Familiar form | Vous/Polite form | Nous/Inclusive form |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| écouter | to listen | écoute | écoutez | écoutons |
| chanter | to sing | |||
| regarder | to look, to watch | |||
| travailler | to work | |||
| étudier | to study | |||
| couper | to cut, to switch off | |||
| répéter | to repeat | |||
| observer | to observe | |||
| entrer | to enter | |||
| danser | to dance | |||
| compléter | to complete | |||
| téléphoner | to telephone | |||
| inviter | to invite |
| Group II verb | Meaning | Tu/Familiar form | Vous/Polite form | Nous/Inclusive form |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| réfléchir | to think | réfléchis | réfléchissez | réfléchissons |
| établir | to establish | |||
| saisir | to seize | |||
| rougir | to blush, to redden | |||
| réussir | to succeed, to result | |||
| punir | to punish |
| Group III verb | Meaning | Tu/Familiar form | Vous/Polite form | Nous/Inclusive form |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| repondre | to answer | reponds | repondez | repondons |
| attendre | to wait | |||
| entendre | to understand, to hear | |||
| vendre | to sell | |||
| perdre | to lose |
Commands of some irregular verbs
| Verb | Meaning | Tu/Familiar form | Vous/Polite form | Nous/Inclusive form |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| sortir | to go out, to leave | sors | sortez | sortons |
| courir | to run, to race | cours | courez | courons |
| consentir | to consent, to agree | consens | consentez | consentons |
| mettre | to put, to place | mets | mettez | mettons |
| servir | to serve | sers | servez | servons |
| aller | to go | va | allez | allons |
| appeler | to call | appelle | appelez | appelons |
| boire | to drink | bois | buvez | buvons |
| commencer | to begin | commences | commencez | commenÇons |
| comprendre | to understand | comprends | comprenez | comprenons |
| conduire | to drive | conduis | conduisez | conduisons |
| devoir | to have to | dois | devez | devons |
| dire | to say | dis | dites | disons |
| écrire | to write | écris | écrivez | écrivons |
| lire | to read | lis | lisez | lisons |
| manger | to eat | manges | mangez | mangeons |
| partir | to leave | pars | partez | partons |
| pouvoir | to be able to | peux | pouvez | pouvons |
| prendre | to take | prends | prenez | prenons |
| rendre | to give back | rends | rendez | rendons |
| tenir | to hold | tiens | tenez | tenons |
