Commands
Parle ! Parlons ! Parlez ! and asking politely.
Commands have three forms, for tu, nous and vous. They're the present without the subject; -er verbs drop the -s of the tu form.
| parler | finir | aller | venir | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| tu | Parle ! | Finis ! | Va ! | Viens ! |
| nous | Parlons ! | Finissons ! | Allons ! | Venons ! |
| vous | Parlez ! | Finissez ! | Allez ! | Venez ! |
The nous form means "let's": Partons ! "Let's leave!", Allons-y ! "Let's go!"
Four verbs are irregular:
Veuillez + infinitive is a formal "please": Veuillez patienter, "Please wait".
Negative commands and pronouns
A negative command puts ne … pas around the verb: Ne parle pas ! Object pronouns follow a positive command with hyphens, and go before a negative one: Regarde-moi !, Ne me regarde pas !
Asking politely
A bare command can sound abrupt. Add s'il te plaît or s'il vous plaît, or ask with pouvoir: Tu peux fermer la porte ?, Pourriez-vous m'aider ? Signs, instructions and recipes use the infinitive: Ne pas fumer, Ajouter le sucre.
Cards from this guide
8 cardsEach card asks about one thing this guide teaches, and its back gives the answer with why and an example. They're reviewed with the rest of the Past, future and commands cards.
How do you make a tu command from parler?
Parle !
How do you say "Let's go!"?
Allons-y !
What's the vous command of être?
Soyez.
How do you tell a child "Don't touch!"?
Ne touche pas !
How do you ask a stranger to repeat something, politely?
Vous pouvez répéter, s'il vous plaît ?
How are instructions on signs and in recipes usually written?
With the infinitive: Ne pas fumer.
Where does the pronoun go in "Give me your number"?
After the verb, joined with a hyphen: Donne-moi ton numéro.
What does Veuillez mean on a sign?
A formal "please": Veuillez patienter, "Please wait".