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

ByMichael Burns

Introduction to the verb caractériser

Get the L’impératif Présent (Imperative Present) tense conjugation of caractériser. 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 caractériser is “to characterize.” The infinitive form is pronounced as “kah-rahk-teh-ree-zeh.”

Caractériser comes from the Latin word “characterizare,” which means “to distinguish by a mark.” It entered the French language in the 14th century and has been used to describe the action of identifying or describing the distinctive features or qualities of something or someone.

In everyday French, caractériser 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 does not change based on the subject and is often used in informal or direct speech.

Here are three simple examples of its usage in the L’impératif Présent tense with their respective English translations:

  1. Caractérisez votre style – “Characterize your style.”
  2. Ne caractérise pas les gens par leur apparence – “Do not characterize people by their appearance.”
  3. Caractérisons la ville comme un lieu de diversité culturelle – “Let’s characterize the city as a place of cultural diversity.”

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

Pronoun Conjugation Example Usage English Translation
je caractérise Caractérise mon personnage principal. Describe my main character.
tu caractérise Caractérise-toi avec un mot. Describe yourself with one word.
il caractérise Il caractérise bien le problème. He describes the problem well.
elle caractérise Elle caractérise souvent son travail. She often characterizes her work.
on caractérise On caractérise cette situation de dangereuse. We characterize this situation as dangerous.
nous caractérisons Caractérisons le groupe de manière générale. Let’s characterize the group in a general way.
vous caractérisez Caractérisez votre expérience en quelques mots. Describe your experience in a few words.
ils caractérisent Ils caractérisent leur relation comme compliquée. They characterize their relationship as complicated.
elles caractérisent Elles caractérisent leur projet comme ambitieux. They characterize their project as ambitious.

Other Conjugations for Caractériser.

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

    Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb caractériser
   

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

   

    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 caractériser L’impératif Présent tense conjugation!

Caractériser – 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 caractériser. Still in a learning mood? Check out another TOTALLY random French verb conjugation!

Similar Posts