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

ByMichael Burns

Introduction to the verb handicaper

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The English translation of the French verb handicaper is “to handicap.” It is pronounced as “ahn-dee-kah-pay.”

Handicaper comes from the French word “handicap,” which originated from the phrase “hand in cap.” This phrase was used in medieval games where players would draw slips of paper from a cap to determine their advantage or disadvantage in the game. This evolved into the concept of a handicap, which refers to a disadvantage or obstacle that inhibits someone’s abilities.

In everyday French, handicaper is most commonly used in the L’impératif Présent tense, which is the imperative form used for giving commands or instructions to someone.

Here are three examples of handicaper used in the L’impératif Présent tense with their English translations:

  1. Handicapez-vous pour trouver une solution. (Handicap yourself to find a solution.)
  2. Ne vous handicapez pas avec des pensées négatives. (Don’t handicap yourself with negative thoughts.)
  3. Handicapons leur avantage en jouant intelligemment. (Let’s handicap their advantage by playing smartly.)

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

Pronoun Conjugation Example Usage English Translation
je handicape Handicape-moi avec tes yeux bandés. Blindfold me.
tu handicapes Handicapes-toi pour la course. Handicap yourself for the race.
il handicape Il handicape encore son fils. He still handicaps his son.
elle handicape Elle handicape le développement de son entreprise. She hinders the development of her company.
on handicapons Handicapons ensemble la concurrence. Let’s handicap the competition together.
nous handicapons Handicapons nos adversaires. Let’s handicap our opponents.
vous handicapez Handicapez vos employés. Handicap your employees.
ils handicapent Ils handicapent leur collègue handicapé. They discriminate against their disabled colleague.
elles handicapent Elles handicapent leur enfant en lui racontant des mensonges. They handicap their child by telling him lies.

Other Conjugations for Handicaper.

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

    Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb handicaper
   

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

   

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Handicaper – 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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