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

ByMichael Burns

Introduction to the verb cerner

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The English translation of the French verb cerner is “to surround” or “to encircle.” The infinitive form, cerner, is pronounced “ser-nay.”

The language origin of cerner can be traced back to the Latin word “cernere,” meaning “to sift” or “to separate.” It then evolved in Old French to mean “to encircle” or “to surround.”

In everyday French, cerner is most often used in the L’impératif Présent tense, which is the command form of the verb. This tense is used to give direct orders or requests.

Example 1: Cerne les invités avant qu’ils arrivent.
Translation: Surround the guests before they arrive.

Example 2: Cernons l’ennemi pour l’empêcher de s’échapper.
Translation: Let’s surround the enemy to prevent them from escaping.

Example 3: Cernez la question avant de donner une réponse.
Translation: Surround the question before giving an answer.

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

Pronoun Conjugation Example Usage English Translation
je cerne Cerne bien le sujet. Understand the subject well.
tu cerne Cerne mieux la situation. Understand the situation better.
il cerne Il cerne les enjeux. He understands the issues.
elle cerne Elle cerne facilement les problèmes. She easily understands the problems.
on cerne On cerne les attentes du public. We understand the expectations of the audience.
nous cernons Cernons les causes du problème. Let’s understand the causes of the problem.
vous cernez Cernez la complexité du sujet. Grasp the complexity of the subject.
ils cernent Ils cernent les différentes opinions. They understand different opinions.
elles cernent Elles cernent les enjeux de la situation. They understand the stakes of the situation.

Other Conjugations for Cerner.

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

    Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb cerner
   

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

   

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Cerner – 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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