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

ByMichael Burns

Introduction to the verb fermer

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The English translation of the French verb fermer is “to close.” It is pronounced as “fehr-may.”

Fermer is derived from the Old French word “fermir,” which comes from the Latin word “firmare,” meaning “to make firm.” In everyday French, fermer is most often used to refer to the act of closing or shutting something.

In the L’impératif Présent tense, fermer is used as a command or suggestion. Here are three simple examples of its usage:

  1. Ferme la porte, s’il te plaît. (Close the door, please.)
  2. Fermons les fenêtres avant de partir. (Let’s close the windows before leaving.)
  3. N’oublie pas de fermer les rideaux ce soir. (Don’t forget to close the curtains tonight.)

In these examples, fermer is used to give a direct command (example 1), to make a suggestion or request (example 2), and to give a reminder (example 3). The verb is conjugated differently depending on the subject, but the command form remains the same.

Overall, fermer is a common and useful verb in everyday French, often used in situations such as closing doors, windows, or other objects.

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

Pronoun Conjugation Example Usage English Translation
je ferme Ferme la porte, s’il te plaît. Close the door, please.
tu ferme Ferme tes yeux et compte jusqu’à dix. Close your eyes and count to ten.
il ferme Il ferme sa boutique à 18h. He closes his shop at 6pm.
elle ferme Elle ferme souvent la fenêtre le soir. She often closes the window in the evening.
on ferme On ferme les rideaux avant de dormir. We close the curtains before sleeping.
nous fermons Fermons la porte à clé. Let’s close the door with a key.
vous fermez Fermez vos livres, s’il vous plaît. Close your books, please.
ils ferment Ils ferment la porte à clé en partant. They close the door with a key when leaving.
elles ferment Elles ferment le magasin à 20h. They close the store at 8pm.

Other Conjugations for Fermer.

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

    Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb fermer
   

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

   

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Fermer – 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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