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

ByMichael Burns

Introduction to the verb dodiner

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The English translation of the French verb dodiner is “to nod,” and it is pronounced “doh-dee-nay.”

The language origin of dodiner can be traced back to the Latin word “dondinare,” which means “to rock or sway.” In modern French, it is most often used in its infinitive form, but it can also be conjugated in the present tense, including the L’impératif Présent (imperative) tense.

In everyday French, dodiner is used to describe the act of nodding one’s head up and down, usually in agreement or understanding. Here are three simple examples of its usage in the L’impératif Présent tense, with their respective English translations:

  1. Dodine un peu moins fort, tu vas réveiller le bébé. (Nod a little less loudly, you’ll wake the baby.)

  2. Dodinez pour me dire que vous avez compris. (Nod to let me know that you understand.)

  3. Dodinez plus doucement, vous allez donner le mal de mer aux autres passagers. (Nod more gently, you’ll give the other passengers seasickness.)

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

Pronoun Conjugation Example Usage English Translation
je dodine Dodine-moi un peu. Pat me a little.
tu dodine Dodine tes cheveux. Tuck your hair.
il dodine Il dodine sa fille pour l’endormir. He rocks his daughter to sleep.
elle dodine Elle dodine son bébé. She rocks her baby.
on dodine On dodine en écoutant de la musique. We rock while listening to music.
nous dodinons Dodinons-nous avant de dormir. Let’s rock ourselves to sleep.
vous dodinez Dodinez doucement. Rock gently.
ils dodinent Ils dodinent sur le canapé. They are rocking on the couch.
elles dodinent Elles dodinent ensemble. They are rocking together.

Other Conjugations for Dodiner.

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

    Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb dodiner
   

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

   

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Dodiner – 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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