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

ByMichael Burns

Introduction to the verb border

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The English translation of the French verb border is “to border” or “to surround.” The infinitive form is pronounced “baw-dair” with the emphasis on the second syllable.

The word “border” comes from the Old French word “bordure,” which means “edge” or “border.” It is most often used in everyday French to talk about a physical border or boundary, such as the border between two countries or the border of a garden.

In the L’impératif Présent tense, border is used to give commands or instructions. Here are 3 simple examples of its usage with their English translations:

  1. Bordons la table avant l’arrivée des invités. (Let’s set the table before the guests arrive.)
  2. Borde ta chambre avant de sortir pour jouer. (Tidy your room before going out to play.)
  3. Bordez les côtés du gâteau avec des fraises. (Border the sides of the cake with strawberries.)

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

Pronoun Conjugation Example Usage English Translation
je borde Borde-moi d’un peu de patience. Be patient with me.
tu borde Borde la fenêtre de rideaux. Put curtains on the window.
il borde Il borde le chemin de cailloux. He lines the path with stones.
elle borde Elle borde le lit de coussins. She lines the bed with cushions.
on borde On borde le parc de fleurs. We line the park with flowers.
nous bordons Bordons la photo d’un cadre. Let’s frame the picture.
vous bordez Bordez-vous de courage. Be courageous.
ils bordent Ils bordent le champ de barbelés. They edge the field with barbed wire.
elles bordent Elles bordent le chemin de haies. They line the path with hedges.

Other Conjugations for Border.

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

    Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb border
   

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

   

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Border – 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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