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

ByMichael Burns

Introduction to the verb contracter

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The English translation of the French verb contracter is “to contract.” It is pronounced as “kon-trak-tey” in its infinitive form.

The word contracter comes from the Latin verb “contractus” meaning “to draw together” or “to bring together.” It has been used in French since the 14th century and has evolved to also mean “to enter into an agreement.”

In everyday French, contracter is most often used in the L’impératif Présent tense, which is the imperative form used to give commands or instructions. Here are three simple examples of its usage in this tense with their English translations:

  1. Contractez vos muscles ! (Contract your muscles!)
  2. Ne contracte pas tes épaules ! (Don’t tense your shoulders!)
  3. Contractons ensemble pour obtenir une meilleure offre. (Let’s negotiate together to get a better deal.)

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

Pronoun Conjugation Example Usage English Translation
je contracte Contracte tes muscles. Contract your muscles.
tu contracte Contracte ton bras. Contract your arm.
il contracte Il contracte souvent son front. He often furrows his brow.
elle contracte Elle contracte un mariage. She is getting married.
on contracte On contracte souvent des dettes. We often get into debt.
nous contractons Contractons un accord. Let’s make a deal.
vous contractez Contractez un prêt. Take out a loan.
ils contractent Ils contractent des maladies. They contract illnesses.
elles contractent Elles contractent des contrats. They sign contracts.

Other Conjugations for Contracter.

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

    Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb contracter
   

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

   

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Contracter – 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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