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

ByMichael Burns

Introduction to the verb calquer

Get the L’impératif Présent (Imperative Present) tense conjugation of calquer. Includes a FREE downloadable reference sheet (no email required). Alternatively if you have a lot of text to check then use our free French Grammar Checker – no registration required!

The English translation of the French verb calquer is “to copy” or “to trace.” It is pronounced “kal-keh.”

Calquer comes from the Latin word “calcare,” meaning “to trace” or “to tread on.” It first appeared in French in the 15th century and has been used in its current form since the 17th century.

In everyday French, calquer is most often used in the L’impératif Présent tense, which is the imperative form used for giving commands or making requests.

Here are three simple examples of its usage in this tense, along with their English translations:

  1. “Calque ce dessin sur une feuille de papier.” (Copy this drawing onto a sheet of paper.)

  2. “Ne calque pas ta conduite sur la leur.” (Don’t model your behavior after theirs.)

  3. “Calquez le mouvement de vos mains sur le mien.” (Trace the movement of your hands on mine.)

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

Pronoun Conjugation Example Usage English Translation
je calque Je calque mes mouvements sur les tiens. I am copying my movements to yours.
tu calque Calque ton dessin sur le mien. Copy your drawing onto mine.
il calque Il calque ses idées sur celles des autres. He copies his ideas from others.
elle calque Elle calque ses mouvements sur les miens. She mirrors her movements to mine.
on calquons Calquons nos efforts sur ceux de l’équipe. Let’s base our efforts on those of the team.
nous calquez Calquez votre réponse sur la mienne. Base your answer on mine.
vous calquent Calquent leurs réponses sur celles des autres. They are copying their answers from others.
ils calquez Calquez vos mouvements sur les leurs. Copy your movements onto theirs.
elles calquent Calquent leurs actions sur celles des hommes. They are copying their actions from men.

Other Conjugations for Calquer.

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

    Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb calquer
   

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

   

    Struggling with French verbs or the language in general? Why not use our free French Grammar Checker – no registration required!
   

   

Get a FREE Download Study Sheet of this Conjugation 🔥

Simply right click the image below, click “save image” and get your free reference for the calquer L’impératif Présent tense conjugation!

Calquer – 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.

Want More?

I hope you enjoyed this article on the verb calquer. Still in a learning mood? Check out another TOTALLY random French verb conjugation!

Similar Posts