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

ByMichael Burns

Introduction to the verb débrailler

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The English translation of the French verb débrailler is “to dishevel” or “to unknot.” It is pronounced as “day-bray-yay.”

Débrailler comes from the French words “dé-” meaning “un-” and “brailler” meaning “to scream” or “to cry.” Its literal meaning is therefore “to un-scream” or “to untangle.”

In everyday French, débrailler is most often used in the imperative present tense, which is a command form of the verb. It is typically used to instruct someone to dishevel or unknot something, whether it be hair, clothing, or a tangled situation.

Here are three simple examples of débrailler in the imperative present tense:

  1. Débraille tes cheveux avant de te coucher. (Dishevel your hair before going to bed.)
  2. Débraillons cette corde pour pouvoir l’utiliser. (Let’s unknot this rope so we can use it.)
  3. Débraillez-vous et détendez-vous ! (Unknot yourselves and relax!)

In these examples, débrailler is used with different objects, such as hair, a rope, and oneself, but the meaning remains the same – to dishevel or unknot. This verb can also be used in a figurative sense, such as “to untangle a situation” or “to unravel a mystery.”

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

Pronoun Conjugation Example Usage English Translation
je débraille Débraille ta chemise. Unbutton your shirt.
tu débrailles Débrailles tes cheveux. Mess up your hair.
il débraille Il débraille sa voiture. He’s tinkering with his car.
elle débraille Elle débraille son sac à main. She’s rummaging through her purse.
on débraille On débraille son vélo. We’re fixing our bikes.
nous débraillons Débraillons nos vêtements. Let’s loosen our clothes.
vous débraillez Débraillez-vous avant de dormir. Unbutton before going to bed.
ils débraillent Ils débraillent leurs chemises. They’re unbuttoning their shirts.
elles débraillent Elles débraillent leurs sacs. They’re rummaging through their bags.

Other Conjugations for Débrailler.

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

    Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb débrailler
   

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

   

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Débrailler – 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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