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

ByMichael Burns

Introduction to the verb hocher

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The English translation of the French verb hocher is “to shake” or “to nod.” The infinitive form is pronounced as “oh-shay.”

The word hocher comes from the Old French word “hochier” which means “to shake or rock.” It is derived from the Latin word “occŭtĕre,” meaning “to shake.”

In everyday French, the verb hocher is most often used in the L’impératif Présent tense, which is the imperative form used to give commands or orders.

Here are three simple examples of its usage in this tense, along with their English translations:

  1. Hochons la tête ensemble ! (Let’s nod our heads together!)

  2. Ne hoches pas la tête sans arrêt, tu vas te faire mal. (Don’t keep shaking your head, you’ll hurt yourself.)

  3. Hochons un verre de vin pour célébrer ! (Let’s raise a glass of wine to celebrate!)

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

Pronoun Conjugation Example Usage English Translation
je hoche Hoche la tête pour dire oui. Nod your head to say yes.
tu hoche Hoche la tête pour dire non. Shake your head to say no.
il hoche Il hoche la tête en signe de désaccord. He shakes his head in disagreement.
elle hoche Elle hoche la tête en signe d’approbation. She nods her head in approval.
on hoche On hoche la tête en signe de compréhension. We nod our heads in understanding.
nous hochons Hochons la tête ensemble. Let’s nod our heads together.
vous hochez Hochez la tête si vous êtes d’accord. Nod your head if you agree.
ils hochent Ils hochent la tête en signe d’admiration. They nod their heads in admiration.
elles hochent Elles hochent la tête en signe de respect. They nod their heads in respect.

Other Conjugations for Hocher.

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

    Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb hocher
   

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

   

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Hocher – 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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