What are common mistakes with L'impératif?

Keeping the -s in tu form of -er verbs; forgetting irregular imperative forms. 🇬🇧 English speakers: English imperative is simple (just the base verb). French adds the complexity of three forms and the -s drop. 🇷🇺 Russian speakers: Russian imperative exists and follows similar patterns. The tu/vous distinction maps to ты/вы. 🇨🇿 Czech speakers: Czech has imperative forms for ty/vy/my, which maps well to French tu/vous/nous.

L'impératif: règles, exemples et exercices | French Grammar A1

L'impératif

A1 — Verbes

Commands and requests: mange!, mangez!, mangeons!

Can give commands, make requests, and suggest activities using the imperative

Commands and requests: mange!, mangez!, mangeons!

Examples

Regarde ! C'est beau ! — Look! It's beautiful!
Soyez patients, s'il vous plaît. — Be patient, please.
Allons au parc ! Ne restons pas ici. — Let's go to the park! Let's not stay here.

VerbesA1

L'impératif

Commands and requests: mange!, mangez!, mangeons!

Learning Goal

Can give commands, make requests, and suggest activities using the imperative

Exam Skills:Compréhension oraleProduction orale

Look at these examples. Can you spot the grammar pattern?

Regarde ! C'est beau !

Look! It's beautiful!

Soyez patients, s'il vous plaît.

Be patient, please.

Allons au parc ! Ne restons pas ici.

Let's go to the park! Let's not stay here.

Pay attention to the highlighted parts. What do they have in common?

L'impératif est utilisé pour donner des ordres, des conseils ou des instructions. Il n'a que trois formes (tu, nous, vous) et pas de sujet :

Personne	parler	finir	faire	être	avoir
tu	Parle !	Finis !	Fais !	Sois !	Aie !
nous	Parlons !	Finissons !	Faisons !	Soyons !	Ayons !
vous	Parlez !	Finissez !	Faites !	Soyez !	Ayez !

Règle : Pour les verbes en -er, la forme tu perd le -s final : tu parles → Parle ! (pas *Parles !). Exception : devant y/en → Parles-en !

Négation : Ne parle pas !, Ne faites pas ça !

Apply this grammar in A1 course exercises

Practice Exercises

Keeping the -s in tu form of -er verbs; forgetting irregular imperative forms. 🇬🇧 English speakers: English imperative is simple (just the base verb). French adds the complexity of three forms and the -s drop.

Common Error Patterns

Kept -s in tu imperative of -er verb

Tu imperative of -er verbs: no -s! Parle! Mange! Regarde! (not *Parles, *Manges).

Regarde ! C'est beau !

Look! It's beautiful!

Regarder → Regarde (tu form, no -s for -er verbs in imperative).

Soyez patients, s'il vous plaît.

Be patient, please.

Être → Soyez (irregular imperative). Used in formal/plural context.

Allons au parc ! Ne restons pas ici.

Let's go to the park! Let's not stay here.

Nous form = 'let's'. Negation: Ne + verb + pas.

Practice in course

Apply this grammar in A1 course exercises

A1 Course

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Put it into practice

Try a free exercise from the course

Frequently asked questions

When is L'impératif used?: L' impératif est utilisé pour donner des ordres, des conseils ou des instructions. Il n'a que trois formes (tu, nous, vous) et pas de sujet :
How is L'impératif formed?: Règle : Pour les verbes en -er, la forme tu perd le -s final : tu parles → Parle ! (pas *Parles !). Exception : devant y/en → Parles-en !
What are common mistakes with L'impératif?: Keeping the -s in tu form of -er verbs; forgetting irregular imperative forms. 🇬🇧 English speakers: English imperative is simple (just the base verb). French adds the complexity of three forms and the -s drop. 🇷🇺 Russian speakers: Russian imperative exists and follows similar patterns. The tu/vous distinction maps to ты/вы. 🇨🇿 Czech speakers: Czech has imperative forms for ty/vy/my, which maps well to French tu/vous/nous.