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Conjugation
Objective: Construct direct, single-recipient commands using the tu imperative, including the -s drop for regular -er verbs.
| Infinitive | Tu Imperative | English |
|---|---|---|
| parler | parle | speak (no -s) |
| écouter | écoute | listen (no -s) |
| attendre | attends | wait (keeps -s) |
| finir | finis | finish (keeps -s) |
| être | sois | be (irregular) |
| avoir | aie | have (irregular) |
| aller | va | go (no -s) |
| faire | fais | do, make (keeps -s) |
Regular -er verbs drop the final -s in the tu imperative, so parles becomes parle without the s.
The -s returns only when the pronoun y follows the verb, so vas-y keeps the s but va au marché does not.
The tu imperative of a regular -er verb drops the -s. The expression s'il te plaît matches the informal register.
The tu imperative of écouter. The form matches the first-person singular of the present tense.
The tu imperative of manger. The possessive tes agrees with the plural noun légumes.
The tu imperative of attendre keeps the -s, since only -er verbs drop it.
The tu imperative of finir keeps the -s, following the same rule as attendre.
5 exercises · about 8 minutes
The tu imperative addresses one person only, so a group requires the vous imperative soyez with the plural adjective.
The tu imperative is reserved for friends, family, and peers, while formal contexts require the vous form instead.
The irregular tu imperative of être. The form sois does not resemble the infinitive.
The -s returns before the pronoun y, producing the fixed expression vas-y meaning go ahead.
The same rule applies to every -er verb. Penser restores the -s before y, following the phonetic pattern.