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

ByMichael Burns

Introduction to the verb coucher

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The English translation of the French verb coucher is “to sleep” or “to put to bed”. It is pronounced “coo-shay”.

The word coucher comes from the Latin word “collocare” meaning “to place” or “to put”. In everyday French, it is commonly used in the L’impératif Présent tense to give commands or make requests in a direct and forceful manner.

Here are 3 simple examples of coucher in the L’impératif Présent tense:

1) Couche-toi ! (English: Go to bed!)
2) Couchons-nous ! (English: Let’s go to sleep!)
3) Couchez-vous maintenant. (English: Go to bed now.)

In each of these examples, coucher is being used as a command or request to go to bed or to get ready for bed. It is a common verb used in daily routines, especially when speaking to children or giving instructions to someone.

In addition to its literal meaning of “to sleep” or “to put to bed”, coucher can also be used figuratively in expressions such as “se coucher tard” (to go to bed late) or “se coucher tôt” (to go to bed early). It can also be used to refer to taking a nap or resting, as in “faire la sieste” (to take a nap).

Overall, coucher is a versatile verb that is commonly used in everyday French to talk about sleeping or going to bed. It is an important verb to know for anyone learning the language.

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

Pronoun Conjugation Example Usage English Translation
je couche Je te conseille de te coucher tôt. I advise you to go to bed early.
tu couche Couche-toi tout de suite. Go to bed right away.
il couche Il faut qu’il se couche plus tôt. He needs to go to bed earlier.
elle couche Elle aime se coucher tard. She likes to go to bed late.
on couche On doit se coucher maintenant. We have to go to bed now.
nous couchons Couchons-nous tôt ce soir. Let’s go to bed early tonight.
vous couchez Couchez-vous tôt ce soir. Go to bed early tonight.
ils couchent Ils se couchent à minuit. They go to bed at midnight.
elles couchent Elles se couchent ensemble. They go to bed together.

Other Conjugations for Coucher.

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

    Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb coucher
   

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

   

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Coucher – 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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