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

ByMichael Burns

Introduction to the verb coiffer

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The English translation of the French verb coiffer is “to style, to do one’s hair.” The infinitive form is pronounced “kwa-fee.”

The word “coiffer” comes from the Old French word “coife,” which means “headdress.” It is most often used in everyday French in the L’impératif Présent tense, which is the imperative form used to give commands or make requests.

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

  1. Coiffe tes cheveux avant d’aller à l’école. (Style your hair before going to school.)
  2. Coiffe-toi rapidement, nous sommes en retard. (Do your hair quickly, we are running late.)
  3. Coiffons-nous bien pour la soirée. (Let’s do our hair nicely for the party.)

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

Pronoun Conjugation Example Usage English Translation
je coiffe Coiffe tes cheveux avant la soirée. Style your hair before the party.
tu coiffe Coiffe-toi avant de sortir. Style your hair before going out.
il coiffe Il coiffe les cheveux des clients. He styles the clients’ hair.
elle coiffe Elle coiffe les modèles pour le défilé. She styles the models for the fashion show.
on coiffe On coiffe les cheveux de nos amis. We style our friends’ hair.
nous coiffons Coiffons-nous avant la fête. Let’s style our hair before the party.
vous coiffez Coiffez vos cheveux à votre goût. Style your hair however you want.
ils coiffent Ils coiffent les acteurs pour le tournage. They style the actors for the filming.
elles coiffent Elles coiffent leurs cheveux pour la soirée. They style their hair for the party.

Other Conjugations for Coiffer.

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

    Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb coiffer
   

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

   

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Coiffer – 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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