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

ByMichael Burns

Introduction to the verb contenter

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The English translation of the French verb contenter is “to satisfy” or “to please.” The infinitive form of contenter is pronounced as “kohn-tahn-tay.”

The word contenter comes from the Latin word “contentus,” meaning “satisfied” or “content.” In everyday French, contenter is most often used in the L’impératif Présent tense, which is the imperative form used for giving commands or instructions. This tense is often used in a direct and authoritative manner.

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

  1. Contentez-vous de ce que vous avez. (Be content with what you have.)
  2. Contentons-nous de cette solution pour l’instant. (Let’s be satisfied with this solution for now.)
  3. Contentez vos invités avec un bon repas. (Satisfy your guests with a good meal.)

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

Pronoun Conjugation Example Usage English Translation
je contente Contentons-nous de ce que nous avons. Let’s be content with what we have.
tu contente Contente-toi de ce que tu as. Be content with what you have.
il contente Il ne se contente pas d’un simple verre. He’s not satisfied with just one drink.
elle contente Elle se contente de peu de choses. She is content with little things.
on contente Contentons-nous de ce que nous avons. Let’s be content with what we have.
nous contentons Contentons-nous de cette décision. Let’s be content with this decision.
vous contentez Contentez-vous de ce que vous avez. Be content with what you have.
ils contentent Ils se contentent de peu de choses. They are content with little things.
elles contentent Elles se contentent souvent de ce qu’elles ont. They are often content with what they have.

Other Conjugations for Contenter.

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

    Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb contenter
   

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

   

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Contenter – 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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