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

ByMichael Burns

Introduction to the verb expliquer

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The English translation of the French verb expliquer is “to explain.” It is pronounced as ehks-plee-kay.

Expliquer comes from the Latin word “explicare,” meaning “to unfold, unravel, or explain.” It first appeared in the French language in the 14th century.

In everyday French, expliquer is used in the L’impératif Présent tense to give orders or commands in a polite manner. It is often used to give instructions or directions, or to ask someone to clarify something.

Here are three simple examples of expliquer in the L’impératif Présent tense:

  1. Expliquez-moi comment vous avez résolu ce problème. (Explain to me how you solved this problem.)
  2. Expliquons-leur les règles du jeu avant de commencer. (Let’s explain the game rules to them before we start.)
  3. Expliquez-lui pourquoi vous ne pouvez pas venir à la réunion. (Explain to him why you can’t come to the meeting.)

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

Pronoun Conjugation Example Usage English Translation
je explique Explique-moi comment faire ça. Explain to me how to do that.
tu explique Explique-moi ton point de vue. Explain your point of view to me.
il explique Il explique bien les choses. He explains things well.
elle explique Elle explique la recette. She explains the recipe.
on explique On explique souvent les choses. We often explain things.
nous expliquons Expliquons-leur la situation. Let’s explain the situation to them.
vous expliquez Expliquez-moi ce mot. Explain this word to me.
ils expliquent Ils expliquent le problème. They explain the problem.
elles expliquent Elles expliquent leurs choix. They explain their choices.

Other Conjugations for Expliquer.

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

    Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb expliquer
   

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

   

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Expliquer – 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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