L’impératif Présent (Imperative Present) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb appeler

ByMichael Burns

Introduction to the verb appeler

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The English translation of the French verb appeler is “to call” or “to name”. It is pronounced as ah-peh-leh.

Appeler comes from the Latin verb appellare, which means “to address” or “to call upon”. It entered the French language in the 12th century and has remained in use ever since.

In everyday French, appeler is most often used in the L’impératif Présent tense, which is the imperative mood used for giving commands or making requests. In this tense, the verb appeler takes on different forms depending on the subject pronoun.

Here are three simple examples of using appeler in the L’impératif Présent tense, along with their English translations:

  1. Appelle ta mère. (Call your mother.)
  2. Appelons le médecin. (Let’s call the doctor.)
  3. Appelez vos amis. (Call your friends.)

As you can see, in the imperative mood, the verb appeler is conjugated differently depending on the subject pronoun. It becomes appelle for “tu” (you singular), appelons for “nous” (we), and appelez for “vous” (you plural). It remains the same for “il” (he), “elle” (she), and “on” (one).

Overall, appeler is a commonly used verb in French that is essential for daily communication. It can be used in various circumstances, such as making phone calls, addressing someone by their name, or even referring to something by a specific name.

Table of the L’impératif Présent (Imperative Present) Tense Conjugation of appeler

Pronoun Conjugation Example Usage English Translation
je appelle Appelle-moi demain. Call me tomorrow.
tu appelle Appelle ta mère s’il te plaît. Call your mother, please.
il appelle Il appelle son ami. He is calling his friend.
elle appelle Elle appelle sa soeur. She is calling her sister.
on appelle On appelle ça une erreur. We call that a mistake.
nous appelons Appelons le restaurant pour réserver une table. Let’s call the restaurant to make a reservation.
vous appelez Appelez-moi si vous avez besoin d’aide. Call me if you need help.
ils appellent Ils appellent leur professeur par son prénom. They call their teacher by his first name.
elles appellent Elles appellent leur grand-mère tous les jours. They call their grandmother every day.

Other Conjugations for Appeler.

   
    Le Present (Present Tense) Conjugation of the French Verb appeler
   

    Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb appeler
   

    Passé Simple (Simple Past) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb appeler
   

    Passé Composé (Present Perfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb appeler
   

    Futur Simple (Simple Future) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb appeler
   

    Futur Proche (Near Future) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb appeler
   

    Plus-que-parfait (Pluperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb appeler
   

    Passé Antérieur (Past Anterior) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb appeler
   

    Futur Antérieur (Future Anterior) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb appeler
   

    Subjonctif Présent (Subjunctive Present) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb appeler
   

    Subjonctif Passé (Subjunctive Past) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb appeler
   

    Subjonctif Imparfait (Subjunctive Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb appeler

    Subjonctif Plus-que-parfait (Subjunctive Pluperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb appeler
   

    Conditionnel Présent (Conditional Present) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb appeler
   

    Conditionnel Passé (Conditional Past) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb appeler

    L’impératif Présent (Imperative Present) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb appeler  (this article)

    L’infinitif Présent (Infinitive Present) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb appeler

   

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Appeler – About the French L’impératif Présent (Imperative Present) Tense

L’impératif Présent is a mood in the French language that is used to give commands, make requests, offer advice, or express a desire in the present tense. It’s a relatively simple tense and is used to address someone directly. Let’s dive into its usage, conjugation, and interactions with other tenses:
NOTE: To take a deep dive into all the French tenses then see my article on Mastering French Tense Conjugation.

Usage

Giving commands

You use l’impératif présent to give direct commands or orders. It is often used in informal and formal situations to tell someone to do or not do something. For example:

   – Mange ta soupe. (Eat your soup.)
   – Ferme la porte. (Close the door.)

Making requests

You can also use the imperative to make polite requests. In this case, it is a gentler way to ask someone to do something. For example:
  
   – Parle plus lentement, s’il te plaît. (Speak more slowly, please.)

Offering advice

It’s common to use l’impératif to give advice or suggestions:
   – Étudie bien pour ton examen. (Study well for your exam.)

Expressing desires

You can express your desires or wishes using the imperative:
   – Amuse-toi bien à la fête. (Have a good time at the party.)

Conjugation Formation

To form l’impératif présent, you need to use the base form of the verb without the subject pronoun (tu, nous, vous, etc.). The conjugation varies depending on the type of verb:
Regular -ER verbs (e.g., parler)
  – Tu: Parle (speak)
  – Nous: Parlons (let’s speak)
  – Vous: Parlez (speak)
Regular -IR verbs (e.g., finir)
  – Tu: Finis (finish)
  – Nous: Finissons (let’s finish)
  – Vous: Finissez (finish)
Regular -RE verbs (e.g., vendre)
  – Tu: Vends (sell)
  – Nous: Vendons (let’s sell)
  – Vous: Vendez (sell)
Irregular verbs (e.g., être, avoir, aller)
  – Tu: Sois (be), aie (have), va (go)
  – Nous: Soyons (let’s be), ayons (let’s have), allons (let’s go)
  – Vous: Soyez (be), ayez (have), allez (go)

Interactions with other tenses

L’impératif is used exclusively in the present tense and does not interact with other tenses in the same way as indicative or subjunctive moods. 
It’s used for direct commands and requests in the here and now. However, in more formal or written contexts, you might find the imperative used with expressions like “quand tu auras fini” (when you have finished) or “dès que tu seras prêt” (as soon as you are ready), which introduce a future action while maintaining the imperative mood for the main verb.
For example:
– Quand tu auras fini ton travail, viens me voir. (When you have finished your work, come see me.)
In this case, the imperative is used in conjunction with future actions, but it’s still employed for the main verb to convey a sense of directness or immediacy.

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