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Cambridge Books Online

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A Reference Grammar of French

R. E. Batchelor, M. Chebli-Saadi

Book DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.1017/CBO9780511921872

Online ISBN: 9780511921872

Hardback ISBN: 9780521196734

Paperback ISBN: 9780521145114

Chapter

29 - Imperative mood/Le mode impératif pp. 278-288

Chapter DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.1017/CBO9780511921872.031

Cambridge University Press

29Imperative mood / Le mode imperatif

The passage below evokes the fantasy world that invades the center of NewYork during the festive season of Christmas. This enchanting period in theBig Apple can be bitterly cold, hence the injunctions, in the imperativeform, with respect to protecting oneself against the wintry rigors. All threeimperatives, including the reflexive, come into play: the second-person plu-ral (Visitez, etudiez) exhorting people to come to New York; the second-personsingular, resorted to by a friend who almost commands the author to puton extra layers before facing the glacial elements (Couvre-toi, N’oublie pas,Met); and finally the collective order of the first-person plural (Procedons,Mettons, attendons). Note the singular form of gratte-ciel alluded to inChapter 10 on number, Section 10.2. Some translations are offered.

La magie de Noel a New YorkLa vaste conurbation de la cote nord-est des Etats-Unis montre des signesexterieurs de richesse et egalement d’extreme pauvrete. Visitez cettemegalopole et etudiez-la sous tous ses angles ! Faites un voyage a NewYork et penetrez dans une societe multiculturelle ou plusieurs commu-nautes cohabitent. Ainsi Big Apple est la ville cosmopolite par excellence.Admirez les monuments impressionnants et les gratte-ciel de Manhat-tan qui en font une ville ultramoderne ou le melange des genres secotoie.

A l’epoque, les tours jumelles [twin towers] du World Trade Centerculminaient a plus de quatre cents metres de hauteur. D’immensesgratte-ciel se dressaient dans l’ıle de Manhattan. Cet hiver-la etait tresrude. Les tempetes de neige faisaient rage [were raging]. Une amie meconseillait la prudence : « Couvre-toi davantage avant de sortir ! N’oubliepas de mettre tes moufles de laine ! Entoure ton cou d’une echarpe !Mets tes bottines fourrees [fur-lined bootees]. Ne reste pas dehors a tegeler ! . . . . » Alors que d’autres amis me reprimandaient amicalement :« Allez, grouille-toi [get a move on] un peu ! On t’attend ! »

En fin d’annee, le Rockefeller Center sur la Cinquieme avenues’animait la nuit de ses plus belles lumieres. Des lumieres extraordi-naires de toutes les couleurs jaillissaient [burst forth ]. La foule grouil-lait [milling] autour du sapin de Noel. Cet evenement mettait toute la

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Imperative mood 279

ville de New York en effervescence. Procedons par ordre ! Mettons-nousla et attendons notre tour ! Avant de se meler a la foule de badauds[onlookers], faites attention ! Rassemblons-nous ! Ne nous dispersonspas. Le sapin [fir tree] magique tronait au beau milieu de la placepublique. Les guirlandes [garlands] du sapin de Noel enroulees autour del’arbre propageaient leur eclat etincelant en degageant une atmosphereenvoutante [spellbinding] et feerique. Les illuminations eblouissantesdes fetes de fin d’annee faisaient l’admiration des grands et des petits.Allons donc, chante, chantons, chantez la chanson traditionnelle :« Mon beau sapin, roi des forets » en anglais et en francais. Les condi-tions meteorologiques ne nous ont pas empeches de sortir et d’appreciernotre sejour outre-Atlantique.

L’Etat du New Jersey a excite notre curiosite. Les quartiers de Man-hattan, de Brooklyn, de Queens, de Staten Island et du Bronx nousont donne un apercu de la ville de New York dans son gigantisme.Nous ressentions un froid polaire en cette fin d’annee et un air glacialprovenant de l’ocean Atlantique. Restons sur une note musicale enmemoire de Frank Sinatra : « New York New York . . . Je veux me reveillerdans une ville qui ne dort jamais . . . »

The imperative has two tenses, present and perfect, although the perfectform is rarely used.

29.1 Forms of the present imperative

Apart from the verbs avoir, etre and savoir, the present imperative reproducesthe corresponding forms of the present indicative. The second-person sin-gular of –er verbs, however, does not take –es, save before the pronounsen and y which are not followed by an infinitive. The present imperativehas three persons: second-person singular, first-person plural and second-person plural. It has no subject pronoun.

Present imperative of –er verbs:

Chante ! (Sing!) Chantons ! (Let us sing!) Chantez ! (Sing!)

Present imperative of –re verbs:

Vends ! (Sell!) Vendons ! (Let us sell!) Vendez ! (Sell!)

Present imperative of –ir verbs:

Finis ! (Finish!) Finissons ! (Let us finish!) Finissez ! (Finish!)

Present imperative of –oir verbs:

Recois ! (Receive!) Recevons ! (Let us receive!) Recevez ! (Receive!)

The present imperatives of avoir, etre and savoir are:

Aie, Ayons, Ayez Sois, Soyons, Soyez Sache, sachons, sachez

Aller is a special case: tu vas>va.

280 A Reference Grammar of French

The imperative may apply to the past, so that the construction is: imper-ative + past participle:

Sois rentre(e) Soyons rentres Soyez rentre(e)(s)

The pronominal forms are:

Leve-toi ! (Get up!) Levons-nous ! (Let’s get up!) Levez-vous ! (Get up!)Assieds-toi ! (Sit

down!)Asseyons-nous ! (Let’s sit

down!)Asseyez-vous ! (Sit

down!)

Note the use of the hyphen between the imperative and the pronominalform.

29.2 Uses of the present imperative

It goes without saying that, as in English, there are certain verbs that donot admit the imperative form, largely because of their meaning: pouvoir(except in the third-person subjunctive form), faillir, falloir, naıtre, valoir,pleuvoir (except in the third-person subjunctive form). This latter remarkapplies to most impersonally used verbs: geler, greler, neiger, tonner.

Some imperatives are hardly used: devoir, emouvoir, defaillir, plaire (exceptin the third-person subjunctive form), suffire (except in the third-personsubjunctive form), vetir (this verb is little used at all except in the infinitiveand the past participle, being almost entirely replaced by habiller).

The present imperative is a command mood implying an order or pro-hibition. It is also used for offering advice or an invitation, or to express awish or a desire. It therefore has a number of values.

The imperative as the expression of an order:

Jean, viens faire la vaisselle. Jean, come and do the dishes/washing up.Presentez-vous demain au

bureau de la direction.Come tomorrow to the manager’s office.

On va etre en retard.Depechons-nous !

We’re going to be late. Let’s hurry!

The imperative as the expression of prohibition, which usually involvesa negation:

Ne bois pas de cette eau ! Ellen’est pas potable.

Don’t drink that water! It’s not fordrinking.

Ne sois pas injuste ! Don’t be unfair!Philippe, ne taquine pas les

filles !Philippe, don’t tease the girls!

Attention ! Ne touchez pas aca ! C’est un produitdangereux.

Careful! Don’t touch that! It’s adangerous product.

Imperative mood 281

The imperative as an expression of advice:

Ne te fais pas de souci poursi peu.

Don’t worry over so little.

Reposez-vous un peu. Voustravaillez trop.

Rest for a while. You’re working toomuch.

Prends un cachet d’aspirinesi tu as mal a la tete.

Take an aspirin if you have a headache.

The imperative as an expression of an invitation:

Viens au cinema avec nous.Je t’offre une place.

Come to the cinema with us. I’ll buy youa ticket.

Venez manger a la maison,ce sera a la bonnefranquette !

Come and have a meal at home, it’ll bevery informal.

The imperative as a wish or desire:

Amuse-toi bien avec tescopains.

Have a good time with your friends.

Passez de bonnes vacances ! Have a good vacation/holiday!

The imperative as an expression of a request:

Mon stylo ne marche plus.Prete-m’en un, s’il te plaıt.

My biro isn’t working any more. Lend meone, please.

Donnez-moi des timbres, s’ilvous plaıt.

Give me some stamps, please.

The imperative can be strengthened by the addition of donc:

Venez donc dıner a lamaison !

Do come and have a meal with us thisevening!

Tais-toi donc ! Do keep quiet!Fais donc attention ! Pay attention, will you!

When the imperative second-person singular of –er verbs is immediatelyfollowed by the pronouns y or en, it takes a hyphen and an s, to makepronunciation easier:

Donnes-en une a Pierre. Give one (of them) to Pierre.Entres-y. Go in!

In this last example, it would be more common to say Entre ! The additionof an s also applies to aller:

Vas-y, Michel ! Go on, Michel!

When first-person and second-person pronouns follow the imperative inthe affirmative, they assume a disjunctive form corresponding to me

and te (see chapter 45 on personal pronouns): Ecoute-moi, Dis-moi, Lave-toi. Otherwise, the direct-object pronoun remains the same as with theindicative mood:

Regarde-les ! Look at them!Appelle-le/la ! Call him/her!Laisse-le/la venir ! Let him/her come!Ecoutons-la chanter ! Let’s hear her sing!Regardez-nous ! Look at us!

The indirect-object pronoun also remains the same:

Donne-lui/leur de l’argent ! Give him/her/them some money!

Pronouns precede the imperative in its negative form:

Ne te baisse pas ! Don’t bend down!Ne les regardez pas ! Don’t look at them!Ne les laisse pas partir ! Don’t let them go!Ne nous abandonnez pas ! Don’t abandon us!

If the pronoun is the subject or complement of an infinitive, the con-structions are the same with verbs such as ecouter, entendre, faire, laisser,mener, sentir, voir:

Faites-le venir ! Have him come! / Let him come!Fais-moi appeler ! Have me called! / Get them to call me!Va la prevenir ! Go and tell her!Viens me voir ! Come and see me!Veuillez m’excuser ! Please excuse me!

Similarly in the negative:

Ne me fais pas appeler ! Don’t have me called! / Don’t let themcall me!

Ne les laisse pas venir ! Don’t let them come!Ne l’ecoutes pas chanter ! Don’t listen to her sing!

Le, la and les are not elided after the imperative when there is no otherpronoun as complement:

Fais-le abattre ! Have him struck down!Envoie-la annoncer la

nouvelle.Send her to announce the news.

Jette-les a l’egout. Throw them into the drain.Dites-le avec des fleurs. Say it with flowers.But: Laisse-l’y aller. Let him/her go there.

Y and en are not commonly combined these days after the imperative,although they do easily combine before the verb: Il y en a; J’y en ai vu.Whereas, in principle, one could say Mettez-y-en or Envoyez-y-en, whichis grammatically correct, one would turn these statements differently:

Imperative mood 283

Mettez-y un peu de bonne volonte; Envoyez-en chez Philippe; Mettez-en dans leplacard.

En and y may follow a personal pronoun. There is an apostrophe in theabsence of a hyphen:

Fiez-vous-y. Trust it.Menez-nous-y. Take us there.Abstenez-vous-en. Abstain from it.Va-t-en / Allez-vous-en. Go away.Parlez-lui-en. Speak to her/him about it.

There is nevertheless much hesitation over the two forms m’y and t’y,which are correct but are not commonly used:

Menez-m’y. Take me there.Fie t’y. Trust it.Prends-t’y adroitement. Set about it skillfully.Rends-t’y tout de suite. Go there immediately.Rends-t’en compte. Take it into account.

There is again some uncertainty over these constructions, which explainsthe “incorrect” form: Menes-y-moi. In practice, other turns of phrase occur:Veux-tu m’y mener ?; Tu peux t’y fier; Tu peux t’y rendre. If the two pronounsdo not depend on the imperative, one can say very easily: Va m’y attendre.In principle, in R1 discourse one could hear: Menez-moi-z-y; Donnez-lui-z-en;Abstiens-toi-z-en (quoted by Hanse and Blampain) but, in reality, such con-structions would be rare and would be turned differently: Tu m’y menes; Tum’en donnes; Tu t’en abstiens.

Elision occurs after an affirmative imperative only before y and en. Com-pare Laisse-le entrer and Laisse l’y aller, Fais-le entrer and Fais-l’en sortir.But one does hear: Envoie le y passer quelques jours; Laisse-le y aller.

If the imperative is negative, there seems to be less uncertainty or vari-ation: Ne t’y fie pas; Ne l’y mene pas; Ne vous y fiez pas; Ne t’en vantepas.

Two identical pronouns may occur next to each other with certain verbsfollowed by an infinitive:

Envoie-le le/la chercher. Send him to get it.Ecoute-la la chanter. Listen to her sing it ( = la chanson).

29.3 Order of pronouns with an affirmative imperative

Generally speaking, the direct object precedes the indirect object, and thereare two hyphens: Donne-le-moi; Rends-la-moi; Tiens-le-toi pour dit; Accordez-les-leur ; Envoyez-les-lui. However, one finds in the spoken language, with

the more unlettered French speakers, the reverse order, a practice not tobe copied but certainly to be recognized. This is particularly true of certainvery common verbs: Donne-moi-le/la; Dis-moi-le; Rends-moi-le/la/les; Coupe-moi-le (of bread, for instance).

If an imperative has a complement which is the subject of a followinginfinitive, as well as a direct complement, the subject of the infinitive isplaced first, even if it is in the dative. However, le, la and les precede lui andleur. Note that there is no hyphen between the two pronouns:

Regarde-la nous imiter. Look at her imitating us.Ecoute-les t’applaudir. Listen to them applauding you.Ecoutez-les m’expliquer le

probleme.Listen to them explain the problem to

me.Laisse-moi t’en parler. Let me speak to you about it.Laissez-les le repeter. Let them repeat it.

Faire followed by an infinitive needs separate treatment; Le, la and les arein first position:

Faites-la-leur envoyer. Have it sent to them.Fais-le-moi savoir. Let me know (it).Faites-le-lui comprendre. Make him understand (it).

As noted above, apostrophe excludes a hyphen: Va-t’en; Attache-l’y.When there are two imperatives, they are treated separately and the

pronouns attached to them are also treated separately: Viens me voir. Dis-moice que te penses > Viens me voir et dis-moi ce que tu penses. However, in R3 literarystyle, if both imperatives are in the same sentence, a pronoun may precedethe second imperative:

Poete, prends ton luth et medonne un baiser.

Poet, take up your lyre and give me akiss.

Since some confusion can arise over placing of pronouns after the impera-tive, with concomitant and sometimes awkward hyphens and apostrophes,we have also seen in Section 29.2 above that, frequently, some constructionsare avoided and replaced by a simpler statement that does not necessarilyinclude the imperative: Attache-l’y > Tu l’attaches au barreau / a la barre / aupoteau; Ecoute-les t’applaudir > Tu les ecoutes t’applaudir.

29.4 Features in French that perform the same functionas the imperative

The infinitive often replaces the imperative in general instructions for thepublic, and this practice is very common, being of a polite nature:

Imperative mood 285

Mettre vingt grammes de beurredans la poele.

Put twenty grams of butter in the pan.

Ne pas depasser la dose indiquee. Do not take more than the stated dose.Tenir au frais. Keep in a cool place.Tenir hors de la portee des

enfants.Keep out of the reach of children.

Extraire la racine carree desnombres suivants.

Find the square root of the followingnumbers.

Bien faire et laisser dire (proverb). Do right and fear no man.Ne pas se pencher a la fenetre (on

trains).Do not lean out (of) the window.

The infinitive is also used in a colloquial way, and often in thenegative:

Ne pas toucher ! (even: Pastoucher !)

Do not touch!

Ne pas s’affoler, surtout ! Especially, don’t panic!

Also of a polite nature is the use of the future:

Tu le feras demain, s’il te plaıt. Please do it tomorrow.Quand vous reviendrez vous

rangerez vos affaires.When you come back, please tidy up your

things.

In oral communications one hears readily:

Garcon, une biere ! Waiter, a beer!Bon appetit ! Have a good meal!Silence ! Silence!Motus ! Keep it under your hat / Mum’s the word!Chut ! Quiet!Pas un mot ! Not a word!Feu ! Fire !Paix aux hommes de bonne

volonte.Peace to men of good will.

On public notices one reads:

Entree interdite No entryDefense d’entrer/d’afficher No entry/bills/Stick no billsDefense/interdiction de fumer No smoking

It is possible to use the third-person conjugation preceded by que tocreate the effect of the imperative, but the form is the subjunctive (seeChapter 44 on the subjunctive). This construction has no true single equiv-alent in English:

Que personne ne sorte ! No one go out !Qu’ils entrent ! Let them come in!Si Jean ne peut faire ses devoirs

aujourd’hui, qu’il les fassedemain !

If Jean can’t do his homework today, lethim do it tomorrow!

Dieu dit: “Que la lumiere soit !”,et la lumiere fut (Genesis 1:3).

God said: “Let there be light,” and therewas light.

Qu’a cela ne tienne ! Do not worry!

There are numerous set expressions where the que is omitted, particularlyin R3 language, and in the third person:

Dieu vous garde ! May God protect/keep you!Dieu soit loue ! God be praised! / Thanks be to God!Dieu veuille me pardonner ! Would that God forgive me!Le diable m’emporte si j’y

comprends un mot !The devil take me if I understand a word

of it!Son saint Nom soit beni ! May his holy Name be blessed!Plaise/Plut a Dieu que. . . Would to God that. . .A Dieu ne plaise (que. . .) ! God forbid (that. . .)!Grand bien vous fasse ! That’ll do you a lot of good!

The subject is sometimes repeated by a personal pronoun after the sub-ject. R3 level of language applies here:

Dieu puisse-t-il m’accorder cedroit.

May God grant me that right.

The subject can be inverted to follow the verb. This is still R3 language.

Ainsi soit-il. So be it.Advienne que pourra. Come what may.Beni soit Dieu ! God be blessed!Maudit soit l’importun qui me

telephone a deux heures dumatin.

Cursed be the wretch who phones me attwo in the morning.

The subjunctive of vivre is commonly used. It normally occurs in the singu-lar, even if the noun is plural. The expressions here are R2:

Vive la France / la Republique / laLiberte !

Long live France/the Republic/Freedom!

Vive l’amour ! Vive le vin ! Long live love! Long live wine!Vive la mariee ! Long live the bride!Vive les vacances ! Long live the vacation/holidays!

Much ink has been spilt over the use of the plural vivent with a plural noun.Does one still say Vivent les vacances? Probably not, although, accordingto Hanse and Blampain, the agreement occurs in literary texts. Grevisse

Imperative mood 287

and Goosse quote an example from La Fontaine, but this is going back300 years. Hanse and Blampain argue that Vive is really a set formula for anacclamation, and there is no justification for a plural.

Adjectives used adverbially can also indicate the imperative idea:

Haut les mains ! (Al Capone /Robin Hood)

Hands up!

Haut les fusils et en avant,camarades !

Rifles at the ready and forward,comrades!

Bas les pattes ! (pattes here: R1 =hands)

Keep your paws to yourself!

Chapeau bas ! Excellent! Well done! (Take my/your hatoff)

Often a noun is used along with the omission of the verb:

La porte ! (Shut) The door!Ta gueule ! (R1: to be used with

care)Shut up / Belt up!

Certain high-register expressions are found, although they are not setexpressions:

Ah ! Vienne vite le printemps ! Oh, that spring would come quickly!Pardonnee soit-elle ! May she be forgiven!Dieu choisisse ! Let God choose!

The verb pouvoir, in R3 language, is used in all persons:

Puisse-je survivre a ce supplice ! Oh, that I may survive this punishment!Puisses-tu gouter un plat si

delicat !Oh, that you may taste such a delicate

dish as this!Puissions-nous reussir ! Oh, that we may succeed!Puissiez-vous reussir ! Oh, that you may succeed!

Some miscellaneous expressions:

Soit (the t is pronounced). So be it. Agreed.A vous la parole. Your turn (to speak).Chacun son tour ! Each one in turn!Ecoute(z) ! Come on!

Although Ecoute(z) obviously has the meaning of Listen (to me), as in Ecoute(z)-moi, it is frequently used in isolation with the idea of encouraging someoneto accept an argument when that person does not reason properly. It cor-responds to the English Look here!

Ecoute, ne sois pas ridicule ! Look here / Come on, don’t be ridiculous!Ecoute(z), le calcul est correct ! Come on, the calculation is correct!Ecoute, tes previsions ne sont pas

correctes.Look here, your forecasts are incorrect.

The second person (singular and plural) of savoir does not really have itsEnglish equivalent of know but has to be turned some other way: Sache(z)que . . . (Understand that . . . ).

Avoir is often used in the negative: N’aie pas peur ! Similarly, the high-register injunction without the pas: N’aie/ayez crainte (Fear not).

Imperative forms of vouloir are: veuille, veuillons, veuillez. However, in theexpression en vouloir a quelqu’un (to have a grudge against someone) whichalways appears in the negative, one says: Ne m’en veux pas / ne m’en voulez pas(Don’t hold it against me).

The expression Fais ce que dois (Do what you must) has an R3 literaryconnotation.

29.5 Uses of the perfect imperative

The perfect imperative is much less frequent and is generally of a higherregister than the present form. It states that an act is to be performed at adetermined point in the future, with a specific indication of time:

Ayez fini tout votre travail avantsamedi.

Have all your work finished beforeSaturday.

Sois partie d’ici au plus tard amidi.

Be gone from here by midday at thelatest.

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