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

ByMichael Burns

Introduction to the verb demander

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The English translation of the French verb demander is “to ask” or “to demand.” The infinitive form is pronounced as “də.mɑ̃.de.”

The word demander comes from the Old French word “demandier,” which comes from the Latin word “demandare,” meaning “to entrust or to ask.” It is most often used in everyday French in the L’impératif Présent tense, which is the imperative form used to give orders or commands.

Examples of the usage of demander in L’impératif Présent tense are:

  1. Demandez votre carte d’identité avant de partir. (Ask for your identity card before you leave.)
  2. Ne lui demande pas d’argent. (Don’t ask him for money.)
  3. Demandez-lui de venir nous rejoindre ce soir. (Ask him to come and join us tonight.)

In these sentences, demander is used to give orders or commands, expressing a request or demand for someone to do something. It is often used in a polite and respectful manner.

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

Pronoun Conjugation Example Usage English Translation
je demande Demande-moi ce que tu veux. Ask me for what you want.
tu demande Demande-lui de m’aider. Ask him to help me.
il demande Il demande toujours des conseils. He always asks for advice.
elle demande Elle demande souvent des faveurs. She often asks for favors.
on demande On demande des explications. We ask for explanations.
nous demandons Demandons à nos parents. Let’s ask our parents.
vous demandez Demandez-leur de venir. Ask them to come.
ils demandent Ils demandent toujours plus. They always ask for more.
elles demandent Elles demandent beaucoup de temps. They ask for a lot of time.

Other Conjugations for Demander.

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

    Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb demander
   

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

   

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Demander – 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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