Affirmative commands (l’impératif affirmatif) in French are used to tell someone to do something or give instructions. They exist for the tu, nous, and vous forms—you never use the pronouns in the command itself. The verbs are conjugated in the imperative mood.
Conjugation Patterns
Let’s look at the imperative forms for some example verbs in the affirmative.
- For -er verbs, just use tu, nous, or vous forms, but drop the -s from tu.
- For -ir and -re verbs, use tu, nous, or vous forms as is (no letters dropped).
- Use the imperative stem directly—don’t need to think about pronouns or subjects.
Regular Verb Examples
| Verb | Tu Command | Nous Command (Let’s…) | Vous Command |
|---|---|---|---|
| parler (to speak) | Parle ! | Parlons ! | Parlez ! |
| finir (to finish) | Finis ! | Finissons ! | Finissez ! |
| vendre (to sell) | Vends ! | Vendons ! | Vendez ! |
| attendre (to wait) | Attends ! | Attendons ! | Attendez ! |
Note: The tu form only drops the -s for -er verbs (ex: parle, not parles). For others (finis, vends), you keep the -s.
Form the 'tu' command for the verb 'attendre' (to wait).
Attends !
For -re verbs like 'attendre,' the 'tu' command uses the stem plus -s: 'Attends !' is correct.
Irregular Affirmative Commands
Some common French verbs have irregular imperative forms. You must memorize these.
| Verb | Person | Command Form | Example Command |
|---|---|---|---|
| être | tu | sois | Sois sage !(Be good!) |
| être | nous | soyons | Soyons patients !(Let’s be patient!) |
| être | vous | soyez | Soyez prudents !(Be careful!) |
| avoir | tu | aie | Aie confiance !(Have confidence!) |
| avoir | nous | ayons | Ayons du courage !(Let’s be brave!) |
| avoir | vous | ayez | Ayez de la patience !(Be patient!) |
| aller | tu | va | Va à l’école !(Go to school!) |
| aller | nous | allons | Allons au parc !(Let’s go to the park!) |
| aller | vous | allez | Allez-y !(Go ahead!) |
| faire | tu | fais | Fais tes devoirs !(Do your homework!) |
| faire | nous | faisons | Faisons une pause !(Let’s take a break!) |
| faire | vous | faites | Faites attention !(Pay attention!) |
Note: Some verbs like aller even drop letters in the imperative (e.g., va instead of vas).
Using Object Pronouns with Affirmative Commands
When you add pronouns for direct objects, indirect objects, or y/en, they go after the verb with a hyphen in affirmative commands.
- Chewing gum on the fly is a perfect metaphor for this effortless flow.
- If both pronouns are used, the order is always:
verb - indirect object (lui, leur) - direct object (le, la, les) - y - en
Examples
| Command | Meaning and Explanation |
|---|---|
| Parle-lui ! | Speak to him/her! ("lui" comes after the verb with a hyphen) |
| Donne-les-moi ! | Give them to me! ("les-moi" follow the verb with hyphens) |
| Écris-y ! | Write there! ("y" is placed after the verb) |
| Prends-en ! | Take some! ("en" follows the verb) |
Adding a Pronoun for Verbs that end with -e in Tu Form
If the tu form ends in -e, add -s back when followed by en or y for easier pronunciation.
| Command | Meaning |
|---|---|
| Va-y ! | Go there! |
| Pense-y ! | Think about it! |
| Parle‑m’en ! | Tell me about it! |
This extra -s appears only when y or en follows.
Complete the affirmative command: Donne____! (give them to me)
Donne-les-moi !
The correct order is indirect object (moi) after direct object (les), all connected by hyphens: Donne-les-moi !
Negative vs Affirmative Imperative
The negative imperative is formed by placing ne... pas around the verb and pronouns:
- Verb + pronouns all stay together in the middle.
- Unlike affirmative, the pronouns come before the verb.
- No hyphens are used in negative commands.
Examples
| Affirmative | Negative |
|---|---|
| Parle‑moi ! (Talk to me!) | Ne me parle pas ! (Don’t talk to me!) |
| Donne‑leur‑les ! (Give them to them!) | Ne leur donne pas les ! (Don’t give it to them!) |
| Va‑y ! (Go there!) | N’y va pas ! (Don’t go there!) |
In summary:
- Use tu, nous, or vous forms.
- For -er verbs, drop the -s in tu form.
- Irregular verbs (être, avoir, aller, faire) have unique imperative forms.
- In affirmative, attach pronouns with hyphens after the verb.
- Add -s to tu form if y or en follows.
- Negative commands put pronouns before the verb (no hyphens).
Last updated: Wed Jun 18, 2025
