28.20: Part 2: 19 IMPERATIVE SENTENCES
- Page ID
- 151150
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19 IMPERATIVE SENTENCES
Imperative sentences are those which a speaker utters to command (or firmly or politely request, depending on the situation) some second person to do/not to do something. As we do in English, the French omit the subject pronoun in such sentences.
| Partez! | Leave! |
| Dis-moi la vérité. | Tell me the truth. |
Also as in English, the verb comes first in the imperative construction when it is affirmative.
| Allons au théâtre. | Let's go to the theater. |
| Rentrez tout de suite. | Co home right away! |
Still as in English, the complements (prepositional phrases, adverbs, direct and indirect object nouns and pronouns) all follow the verb in the affirmative imperative construction.
| Venez avec moi à la Casbah. | Come with me to the Casbah. |
| Achetez cette voiture. | Buy this car. |
| Parlez plus lentement. | Speak more slowly. |
| Écris à ta tante. | Write to your aunt. |
| Posons-leur des questions. | Let's ask them some questions. |
| Rendez-les-nous! | Give them back to us! |
| Allez-y! | Go there! (fig. "Go ahead! Go to it!") |
| Achète-m'en. | Buy me some. |
Yes, there is one exception. Unlike English, in negative imperative sentences, the direct and indirect object pronouns (including y and en) precede the verb. All other complements still follow it.
| Ne me dites pas cela. | Don't tell me that. |
| N'y allez pas. | Don't go there. |
| Ne le rends pas à Michelle. | Don't give it back to Michelle. |