FlexiLingoIn one line
The same present-tense forms, with the subject pronoun removed. And it has only three forms.
The table
| From this form | The imperative is | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
tu parles /ty paʁl/ | Parle ! /paʁl/ | speak |
nous parlons /nu paʁ.lɔ̃/ | Parlons ! /paʁ.lɔ̃/ | let's speak |
vous parlez /vu paʁ.le/ | Parlez ! /paʁ.le/ | speak (plural / formal) |
Take the pronoun off. That is all.
Two things English does not have. First,
nous parlons→Parlons !is a real verb form; English needs a helper word, "let's speak". Second, English has one "you", soParle !andParlez !both come out as "speak" — and choosing the wrong one is a social error, not a grammatical one. UseParlezwith anyone you would call by their surname, and with any group.
And the s that drops in the tu form
-er verbs and aller lose the s in the tu form:
| Present | Imperative |
|---|---|
tu parles /ty paʁl/ | Parle ! /paʁl/ |
tu manges /ty mɑ̃ʒ/ | Mange ! /mɑ̃ʒ/ |
tu vas /ty va/ | Va ! /va/ |
But everything else keeps it:
tu finis /ty fi.ni/ | Finis ! /fi.ni/ |
tu prends /ty pʁɑ̃/ | Prends ! /pʁɑ̃/ |
tu fais /ty fɛ/ | Fais ! /fɛ/ |
The negative — the easiest case there is
| Pronunciation | ||
|---|---|---|
Ne parle pas ! | don't speak | /nə paʁl pa/ |
Ne mangeons pas ! | let's not eat | /nə mɑ̃.ʒɔ̃ pa/ |
Exceptions
| Verb | tu | nous | vous |
|---|---|---|---|
être /ɛtʁ/ | sois /swa/ | soyons /swa.jɔ̃/ | soyez /swa.je/ |
avoir /a.vwaʁ/ | aie /ɛ/ | ayons /ɛ.jɔ̃/ | ayez /ɛ.je/ |
savoir /sa.vwaʁ/ | sache /saʃ/ | sachons /sa.ʃɔ̃/ | sachez /sa.ʃe/ |
vouloir /vu.lwaʁ/ | veuille /vœj/ | — | veuillez /vœ.je/ |
Four verbs, and veuillez is extremely common: Veuillez patienter. Please hold.
With a reflexive verb
| Pronunciation | ||
|---|---|---|
| positive | the pronoun goes after the verb with a hyphen — and te becomes toi: Lève-toi ! | /tə/ · /twa/ · /lɛv.twa/ |
| negative | the pronoun goes back to its usual place: Ne te lève pas ! | /nə tə lɛv pa/ |
And that s comes back before y or en
| Pronunciation | ||
|---|---|---|
Va ! but Vas-y ! | go · go on then | /va/ · /va.zi/ |
Mange ! but Manges-en ! | eat · have some | /mɑ̃ʒ/ · /mɑ̃ʒ.z‿ɑ̃/ |
Because va-y would put two vowels together.
Examples
| English | French | Pronunciation |
|---|---|---|
| Speak! | Parle ! | /paʁl/ |
| Come here! | Viens ici ! | /vjɛ̃.zi.si/ |
| Let's go! | Allons-y ! | /a.lɔ̃.zi/ |
| Please hold | Veuillez patienter. | /vœ.je pa.sjɑ̃.te/ |
| Hurry up! | Dépêche-toi ! | /de.pɛʃ twa/ |
| Don't worry! | Ne t'inquiète pas ! | /nə tɛ̃.kjɛt pa/ |
| Be quiet! | Sois tranquille ! | /swa tʁɑ̃.kil/ |
Common mistakes
| ❌ | ✅ | Why |
|---|---|---|
Tu parle ! | Parle ! | The subject pronoun comes off |
Parles ! | Parle ! | An -er verb drops that s |
Fini ! | Finis ! | Only -er verbs and aller drop it |
Lève-te ! | Lève-toi ! | In the positive imperative te becomes toi |
Ne lève-toi pas ! | Ne te lève pas ! | In the negative the pronoun moves back in front |
And why vous sounds more polite
three levels of politeness in one command
| Form | Register | Example |
|---|---|---|
tu /ty/ imperative | familiar, sometimes blunt | Attends ! /a.tɑ̃/ wait |
vous /vu/ imperative | normal and polite | Attendez ! /a.tɑ̃.de/ |
Veuillez /vœ.je/ + infinitive | formal, written | Veuillez attendre. /vœ.je.z‿a.tɑ̃dʁ/ |
a question with pouvoir /pu.vwaʁ/ | the softest of all | Peux-tu attendre ? /pø.ty a.tɑ̃dʁ/ can you wait? |
A bare imperative can sound sharp in French — as it can in English, but the softeners are not the same ones. English hedges with the verb: "could you wait", "would you mind waiting", "if you could just wait". French leaves the imperative alone and adds a tag: s'il te plaît or s'il vous plaît, and it is very nearly compulsory.
Attends, s'il te plaît.
So do not translate "could you possibly …" into a French conditional and think you have been polite. The reliable move is the plain imperative plus s'il vous plaît.