Commands
To order someone around, use the present
tense tu, vous, or nous forms. If the form ends
in es, or as drop the final s.
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Chantez-moi une chanson.
Sing me a song!
Range ta chambre !
Tidy up your room!
Va faire les courses !
Go run the errands!
Ouvrons la fenêtre. Ça pue.
Let's open the window. It stinks! |
Orders using the following verbs, however, are formed with subjunctive
forms.
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être |
to be |
Sois |
savoir |
to know |
Sache |
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Soyez |
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Sachez |
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Soyons |
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Sachons |
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avoir |
to have |
Aie |
vouloir |
to want |
Veuille* |
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Ayez |
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Veuillez* |
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Ayons |
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Sois sage !
Be wise!
Aie de la pitie pour moi !
Have mercy on me! |
*The vouloir forms are used to politely ask someone to do something.
They aren't really orders.
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Veuillez vous s'asseoir.
Please sit down. |
When the verb is reflexive, use a disjuctive
pronoun rather than a regular reflexive pronoun.
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Réveillez-vous. Levez-vous. Taisez-vous.
Wake up.
Get yourself up. Shut up. |
When a pronoun like y or en follows one of the verbs that
drops the final s, don't drop the s.
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Vas-y.
Go on.
Parles-en.
Speak about it.
Allons-y.
Lets go on |
Tell someone not to do something by negating
the verb in the customary way.
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Ne sois pas en retard !
Don't be late.(formal)
Sois pas en retard !
Don't be late. (informal) |
practice
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