Bonjour et bienvenue 😊🇫🇷

This is the eighth course in the Building Structures in French series, and it's quite different from all the others.

In all the other structures so far, we start by looking at how to use each structure as a question. However, Structure 8 can't be used as a question. The reason is because this structure uses the imperative. The imperative is the grammatical term for a command or an order, so you can use this structure when you want to tell somebody what to do.

You might think of it as being rude to tell somebody what to do, but it needn't be. Simple phrases such as, "Please, come with me" and "Help yourself" are both commands or orders, but they seem polite.

In French, the imperative isn't rude at all, and it's very commonly used. We'll look at some of the most common verbs in the imperative and how to conjugate them into French.

Even though the imperative can't be used in questions, there is actually quite a lot you can do with this tense. We'll be exploring lots of different ways of using the imperative, we'll be looking at how to use it with object pronouns, and we'll also be looking at how to turn it negative.

There are different forms of the imperative, depending on whom you're speaking to, and there's one form that might surprise you to think of as being a command. The word "Let's" when placed in front of a verb is classed as a command or an order (or the imperative). Look at these examples:

  • Let's go
  • Let's leave early
  • Let's not buy that

These are all examples of imperatives because, technically, you're telling yourself and whomever you're with what to do. We'll look at how to use this in French and we'll have plenty of opportunity to practise.

The importance of practice

Whilst it might seem like it takes a while to work out how to conjugate a verb into the different tenses, the amount of time it takes gets shorter the more you practise. I remember when I first uttered something in French without having to think about how I was going to say it; I felt amazing! I managed to conjugate the verb into the past tense and didn't even give it a second thought before it came out of my mouth. Whilst it was just a three-second utterance, in my head it was the most wonderful thing in the world because it meant all the many, many hundreds of hours of practice were worth it.

So, let's get on and learn all about the eighth structure and let's practise it as much as we can so we can speak confidently and fluently.

J'espère que tu l'aimes - I hope you like it 😊🇫🇷

Get three structures in one bundle

You can save money if you buy three structures courses together in one bundle

Building Structures in French - Structures 1, 2 and 3

Structures 1, 2 and 3 of the Building Structures in French series

Courses: 3

$45

Building Structures in French - Structures 4, 5 and 6

Structures 4, 5 and 6 of the Building Structures in French series

Courses: 3

$45

Building Structures in French - Structures 7, 8 and 9

Structures 7, 8 and 9 of the Building Structures in French series

Courses: 3

$45

Full curriculum (watch the first few lessons for free)
  Introduction
Available in days
days after you enroll
  Lesson 1
Available in days
days after you enroll
  Lesson 2
Available in days
days after you enroll
  Lesson 3
Available in days
days after you enroll
  Lesson 4
Available in days
days after you enroll
  Lesson 5
Available in days
days after you enroll
  Lesson 6
Available in days
days after you enroll
  Lesson 7
Available in days
days after you enroll
  Lesson 8
Available in days
days after you enroll

Building Structures 9, 3 Minute French and Grammar courses

As well as the Building Structures in French series, I've created another series called 3 Minute French

Building Structures in French - Structure 9

Learn about how the French language is put together by breaking it down into its different sentence structures

Kieran Ball

Kieran Ball

$25

3 Minute French - Course 1

Learn to speak French you can use in everyday real-world situations

3 Minute Languages

3 Minute Languages

$35

French Grammar - Quick Guide - Verbs 1

Kieran Ball

Kieran Ball

$35

Once you have completed this course, if you would like to learn more French using the same method, you can find the next courses below:

3 Minute Languages series

3 Minute French - Course 1 | Course 2 | Course 3 | Course 4 | Course 5 | Course 6 | Course 7 | Course 8 | Course 9 | Course 10 | Course 11 | Course 12 | Course 13 | Course 14 | Course 15 | Course 16

3 Minute Spanish - Course 1 | Course 2 | Course 3 | Course 4 | Course 5 | Course 6 | Course 7

3 Minute Italian - Course 1 | Course 2 | Course 3 | Course 4 | Course 5 | Course 6 | Course 7

3 Minute German - Course 1 | Course 2 | Course 3 | Course 4 | Course 5 | Course 6

3 Minute Portuguese - Course 1 | Course 2 | Course 3 | Course 4


Building Structures series

Building Structures in French - Structure 1 | Structure 2 | Structure 3 | Structure 4 | Structure 5 | Structure 6 | Structure 7 | Structure 8 | Structure 9

Building Structures in Spanish - Structure 1 | Structure 2 | Structure 3 | Structure 4 | Structure 5

Building Structures in Italian - Structure 1 | Structure 2 | Structure 3 | Structure 4 | Structure 5

Building Structures in German - Structure 1 | Structure 2 | Structure 3 | Structure 4

Building Structures in Portuguese - Structure 1

 

Quick Guides series

French - Verbs 1

Spanish - Verbs 1

German - Verbs 1

Italian - Verbs 1

Portuguese - Verbs 1

 

Grammar courses

French Present Perfect tense

Essential French grammar - Future | Conditional | Imperfect

Essential Spanish grammar - Future | Conditional | Imperfect

 

English courses

English Idioms

English Verb Tenses

English If clauses

 

Maths courses

3 Minute Maths - Fractions

3 Minute Maths - Percentages

----------

Further learning material

You can find plenty of articles and YouTube videos I've created to help you with your language learning. Find them all here:

YouTube videos: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC_W8zw-DxvfU0lF_ojIm2mA

Blog: https://www.3minute.club/blog


I hope you enjoy :-)

Happy learning!

Kieran