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French imperative quiz: 10 checks on commands and pronouns

Edited by Chris Lee · Updated · About the library

Test French commands with tu, nous and vous: parle, prenons, soyez, aie, vas-y and negative reflexive forms. Ten questions with explanations.

In short

French commands usually leave out the subject pronoun: parle, parlons, parlez. Ordinary -er commands with tu lose the final s. Watch the exceptions and pronouns: Vas-y ! becomes N’y va pas !

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A small group of friends stands ready to leave a French apartment with backpacks and coats.
The departure scene gives soyez prêts a practical context. Illustration: Atelier
Choose who the command includes
AddresseeCommandEnglish
One person you call tuEntre !Come in!
The speaker and othersEntrons !Let’s go in!
A group or someone you call vousEntrez !Come in!
  1. Question 1No account needed
    Tell one friend to speak more slowly. Use the tu imperative.

    Choose one answer.

    Answer and explanation

    Parle plus lentement.. For one familiar addressee, the ordinary command of an -er verb has no final -s and no subject pronoun.

  2. Question 2No account needed
    Choose “Let’s take this train”.

    Choose one answer.

    Answer and explanation

    Prenons ce train.. The command ending in -ons includes the speaker. The other two forms address the listener or listeners.

  3. Question 3No account needed
    Tell a group to make a copy. Use faire.

    Choose one answer.

    Answer and explanation

    Faites une copie.. The correct form ends in -tes. It addresses a group or one person addressed politely.

  4. Question 4No account needed
    Tell a mixed group to be ready. Use être.

    Choose one answer.

    Answer and explanation

    Soyez prêts.. The verb “be” has an irregular imperative. The adjective is masculine plural for the mixed group.

  5. Question 5No account needed
    Encourage one friend to have confidence. Use avoir.

    Choose one answer.

    Answer and explanation

    Aie confiance.. The command of “have” for one familiar addressee needs a final -e. The other choices are indicative forms.

  6. Question 6No account needed
    Attach y directly to the affirmative tu command of aller.

    Choose one answer.

    Answer and explanation

    Vas-y.. Attaching the place pronoun to this affirmative command adds an -s and requires a hyphen.

  7. Question 7No account needed
    Make Vas-y a full written negative command.

    Choose one answer.

    Answer and explanation

    N’y va pas.. In the negative, the pronoun precedes the verb and the extra affirmative -s disappears.

  8. Question 8No account needed
    Tell one friend to get ready. Use se préparer.

    Choose one answer.

    Answer and explanation

    Prépare-toi.. The -er command has no final -s. Its affirmative reflexive pronoun follows the verb with a hyphen.

  9. Question 9No account needed
    Make Habille-toi a full written negative command.

    Choose one answer.

    Answer and explanation

    Ne t’habille pas.. The reflexive pronoun moves before the verb and loses its vowel before the following vowel sound.

  10. Question 10No account needed
    Choose the negative infinitive instruction you could put on a file.

    Choose one answer.

    Answer and explanation

    Ne pas modifier le fichier.. The first option places both negative words before the infinitive. The second is a correct addressed command.

Where do pronouns go in French commands?

Affirmative and negative commands
PatternAffirmativeNegative
ReflexivePrépare-toi.Ne te prépare pas.
A place with yVas-y.N’y va pas.
An indirect objectParle-lui.Ne lui parle pas.

In affirmative commands, attach the pronoun with a hyphen: parle-lui. In negative commands, place it before the verb: ne lui parle pas. The reflexive toi returns to te in the negative, and te becomes t’ before a vowel sound: ne t’habille pas.

Aie confiance. Prenons le temps de vérifier. Soyez prêts à partir à huit heures.

Have confidence. Let’s take time to check. Be ready to leave at eight.

Three useful forms to keep together: aie, prenons and soyez.

  • Tu parle plus lentement.Parle plus lentement.

    For the requested command, omit the subject. A statement would be Tu parles plus lentement.

  • Ne prépare-toi pas.Ne te prépare pas.

    In the negative command, place te before the verb and keep ne … pas around the pronoun-and-verb group.

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