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

ByMichael Burns

Introduction to the verb cligner

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The English translation of the French verb cligner is “to wink.” The infinitive form, cligner, is pronounced as “klee-nay.”

Cligner comes from the Old French word “clignier” and is derived from the Latin word “clinare” which means “to bend.” It is most often used in everyday French to express a quick, subtle movement of closing and opening one eye, usually as a sign of agreement, understanding, or playfulness.

In the L’impératif Présent tense, cligner is used to give a command or make a request in a direct and imperative way. Here are three simple examples of its usage in this tense with their English translations:

  1. Cligne des yeux pour dire oui. (Wink to say yes.)
  2. Clignez de l’œil en signe de complicité. (Wink as a sign of complicity.)
  3. Clignez de l’œil pour lui faire comprendre. (Wink to make him understand.)

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

Pronoun Conjugation Example Usage English Translation
je cligne Je cligne des yeux pour mieux voir. I blink my eyes to see better.
tu cligne Tu clignes des yeux en regardant la télévision. You blink your eyes while watching TV.
il cligne Il cligne des yeux pour montrer sa surprise. He blinks his eyes to show his surprise.
elle cligne Elle cligne des yeux pour éviter de pleurer. She blinks her eyes to avoid crying.
on cligne On cligne des yeux quand on est fatigué. We blink our eyes when we are tired.
nous clignons Clignons des yeux en entrant dans la pièce sombre. Let’s blink our eyes when entering the dark room.
vous clignez Clignez des yeux pour vous débarrasser des poussières. Blink your eyes to get rid of dust.
ils clignent Ils clignent des yeux en plein soleil. They blink their eyes in the full sun.
elles clignent Elles clignent des yeux quand elles sont fatiguées. They blink their eyes when they are tired.

Other Conjugations for Cligner.

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

    Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb cligner
   

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

   

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Cligner – 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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