Affirmative commands in French, including how to form them using the imperative mood, which pronouns are used, verb forms, and examples.

Affirmative commands in French are used to tell someone to do something. They are formed using the imperative mood and only use the subject pronouns tu, nous, and vous—but the pronouns themselves are omitted in the command. The verb form changes depending on the verb group and person.

How to Form Affirmative Commands

Use the imperative form of the verb.
Pronouns tu, nous, vous are implied but not written.
For -er verbs (and some irregulars), tu form drops the final -s.
For -ir and -re verbs, use the regular present subjunctive stem.
Add object pronouns after the verb with a hyphen (e.g., Donne-moi).

How do you form the imperative for an -er verb when using the tu form?

Add -s to the ending

Drop the final -s from the present tense ending

Use the infinitive form

Add -ez to the ending

Drop the final -s from the present tense ending

For -er verbs, the tu form drops the final -s in the imperative (e.g., parle instead of parles).

Pronouns Used in Commands

Pronoun	Usage	Example (parler - to speak)
tu	Informal singular	Parle ! (Speak!)
nous	Let’s (inclusive)	Parlons ! (Let’s speak!)
vous	Formal singular or plural	Parlez ! (Speak!/You all speak!)

Note: Subject pronouns are never written in French commands.

When do you use 'vous' in French commands?

For informal singular

For formal singular or plural 'you'

For 'we' commands

For 'they'

For formal singular or plural 'you'

'Vous' is used for either formal singular 'you' or for addressing multiple people.

Examples with Regular Verbs

Parler — to speak

Pronoun	French Command	English Command	Example (FR)	Example (EN)
tu	Parle !	Speak!	Parle plus fort.	Speak louder.
nous	Parlons !	Let’s speak!	Parlons français.	Let’s speak French.
vous	Parlez !	Speak! / You all speak!	Parlez doucement.	Speak quietly.

Finir — to finish

Pronoun	French Command	English Command	Example (FR)	Example (EN)
tu	Finis !	Finish!	Finis tes devoirs.	Finish your homework.
nous	Finissons !	Let’s finish!	Finissons tôt.	Let’s finish early.
vous	Finissez !	Finish! / You all finish!	Finissez rapidement.	Finish quickly.

Vendre — to sell

Pronoun	French Command	English Command	Example (FR)	Example (EN)
tu	Vends !	Sell!	Vends ta voiture.	Sell your car.
nous	Vendons !	Let’s sell!	Vendons nos livres.	Let’s sell our books.
vous	Vendez !	Sell! / You all sell!	Vendez ce produit.	Sell this product.

Examples with Irregular Verbs

Être — to be

Pronoun	French Command	English Command	Example (FR)	Example (EN)
tu	Sois !	Be!	Sois patient.	Be patient.
nous	Soyons !	Let’s be!	Soyons honnêtes.	Let’s be honest.
vous	Soyez !	Be! / You all be!	Soyez prudents.	Be careful.

Avoir — to have

Pronoun	French Command	English Command	Example (FR)	Example (EN)
tu	Aie !	Have!	Aie confiance.	Have confidence.
nous	Ayons !	Let’s have!	Ayons du courage.	Let’s be brave.
vous	Ayez !	Have! / You all have!	Ayez de la patience.	Be patient.

Aller — to go

Pronoun	French Command	English Command	Example (FR)	Example (EN)
tu	Va !	Go!	Va à l'école.	Go to school.
nous	Allons !	Let’s go!	Allons au parc.	Let’s go to the park.
vous	Allez !	Go! / You all go!	Allez vite.	Go quickly.

Faire — to do / to make

Pronoun	French Command	English Command	Example (FR)	Example (EN)
tu	Fais !	Do! / Make!	Fais tes devoirs.	Do your homework.
nous	Faisons !	Let’s do! / make!	Faisons un gâteau.	Let’s make a cake.
vous	Faites !	Do! / Make!	Faites du sport.	Do some exercise.

Summary

Use tu, nous, vous forms (no pronouns written).
For -er verbs, tu form drops the -s (e.g., parle, va, fais).
Other verbs use the usual present subjunctive stem or imperative form.
Irregular verbs have special imperative forms (être, avoir, aller, faire).
Affirmative object pronouns come after the verb with a hyphen (e.g., Donne-moi).

Understanding how to form and use French affirmative commands will allow you to give clear instructions, make suggestions, and communicate more confidently!

Flashcards (1 of 21)

Pronoun: tu
Example (FR): Parle plus fort.
Example (EN): Speak louder.

English Command: Speak!

Next Up: Negative Commands

Last updated: Thu Jun 12, 2025