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

ByMichael Burns

Introduction to the verb brosser

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The English translation of the French verb brosser is “to brush.” The infinitive form of the verb is pronounced as “broh-say.”

The word brosser comes from the Latin word “bruscum,” meaning “a kind of shrub.” It entered the French language in the 12th century and originally referred to the act of cleaning with a broom. Over time, it evolved to also mean brushing or combing hair, and today it can be used in various contexts, such as cleaning or grooming.

In everyday French, brosser is most often used in the L’impératif Présent tense, which is the imperative form used to give commands or make requests. It is conjugated as follows:

  • Tu brosses (You brush)
  • Nous brossons (Let’s brush)
  • Vous brossez (You all brush)

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

  1. Brossons-nous les dents avant d’aller au lit. (Let’s brush our teeth before going to bed.)

  2. Ne brosses pas le chat dans le sens inverse des poils. (Don’t brush the cat against the direction of the fur.)

  3. Brossez-vous les cheveux avant de sortir. (Brush your hair before going out.)

In these examples, brosser is used to give a command or request in an informal way. It can also be used in a more formal tone, especially when addressing someone in a position of authority.

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

Pronoun Conjugation Example Usage English Translation
je brosse Je brosse mes dents deux fois par jour. I brush my teeth twice a day.
tu brosse Brosse-toi les cheveux avant de sortir. Brush your hair before going out.
il brosse Il brosse le cheval après l’avoir monté. He brushes the horse after riding it.
elle brosse Elle brosse son chat tous les jours. She brushes her cat every day.
on brosse On brosse les chiens après la promenade. We brush the dogs after the walk.
nous brossons Brossons-nous les dents ensemble. Let’s brush our teeth together.
vous brossez Brossez les chaussures avant de les ranger. Brush the shoes before putting them away.
ils brossent Ils brossent leurs cheveux tous les matins. They brush their hair every morning.
elles brossent Elles brossent les chevaux avant la compétition. They brush the horses before the competition.

Other Conjugations for Brosser.

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

    Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb brosser
   

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

   

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Brosser – 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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