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

ByMichael Burns

Introduction to the verb distinguer

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The English translation of the French verb distinguer is “to distinguish.” It is pronounced “dees-tang-gey” in the infinitive form.

The language origin of distinguer can be traced back to the Latin word “distinguere,” meaning “to separate.” In everyday French, distinguer is most often used in the L’impératif Présent tense, which is the imperative form of the present tense that is used to give orders or commands.

Three simple examples of using distinguer in the L’impératif Présent tense are:

  1. Distinguez les couleurs différentes. (Distinguish the different colors.)
  2. Ne me confondez pas avec mon frère. (Don’t confuse me with my brother.)
  3. Distinguez le vrai du faux avant de prendre une décision. (Distinguish the truth from the lies before making a decision.)

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

Pronoun Conjugation Example Usage English Translation
je distingue Distingue les différentes couleurs. Distinguish the different colors.
tu distingue Distingue les nuances subtiles. Distinguish the subtle nuances.
il distingue Il distingue bien les sons. He distinguishes sounds well.
elle distingue Elle distingue les différentes saveurs. She distinguishes different flavors.
on distingue On distingue difficilement les détails. We have difficulty distinguishing details.
nous distinguons Distinguons ce qui est important. Let’s distinguish what is important.
vous distinguez Distinguez les différentes espèces. Distinguish the different species.
ils distinguent Ils distinguent le vrai du faux. They distinguish the true from the false.
elles distinguent Elles distinguent les différentes cultures. They distinguish different cultures.

Other Conjugations for Distinguer.

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

    Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb distinguer
   

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

   

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Distinguer – 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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