The French imperative does more than give commands. It also exhorts ("let's go"), encourages ("come on, you can do it"), expresses surprise ("oh, look at that"), gets attention ("hey, listen"), and marks moments of mild reproach ("come on now"). Many of the most frequent imperatives in everyday French — Allez!, Voyons!, Tiens!, Dis donc! — have lost their literal command meaning and now function as discourse markers, closer in role to English come on, oh!, hey, let's see. Learning these patterns is what separates textbook French from spoken French.
This page covers two related uses: (1) the first-person plural imperative (the nous form) used as exhortation — "let's eat," "let's go," "let's be honest"; and (2) the wide family of encouragement and discourse-marker imperatives that get used in spoken French to motivate, comment on, and frame conversations. The exhortative nous form is the focal point of the page; the discourse markers are the part that will most change how your French sounds.
The nous-imperative: "let's"
The first-person plural imperative — formed exactly like the nous form of the present indicative, with no subject pronoun — is the French equivalent of English let us / let's. It is a proposal to do something that includes the speaker.
Allons-y, on est en retard !
Let's go, we're late!
Mangeons avant que ça refroidisse.
Let's eat before it gets cold.
Soyons sérieux deux minutes.
Let's be serious for two minutes.
Parlons franchement : ça ne va pas marcher.
Let's speak frankly: it's not going to work.
Faisons une pause, j'ai mal aux yeux.
Let's take a break, my eyes hurt.
The form is just the nous present-indicative without the pronoun: nous parlons → parlons, nous faisons → faisons, nous sommes → soyons (irregular). Same conjugation, no subject. The only meaningful change is in être (soyons), avoir (ayons), savoir (sachons), and vouloir (veuillons — never used in this sense).
The nous-imperative is more common in French than let's is in English
A useful insight for learners: French uses the nous-imperative more freely than English uses let's. English speakers often opt for why don't we... or we should... in places where French would naturally reach for the nous-imperative. The result is that French speech contains more "let's" constructions than translations from English would suggest.
Voyons un peu ce qui s'est passé.
Let's see what happened.
Disons que c'est compliqué.
Let's just say it's complicated.
Admettons qu'il ait raison. Et alors ?
Let's grant that he's right. So what?
Imaginons qu'on rate le bus.
Suppose we miss the bus. (literally: let's imagine that...)
Notons que le contrat expire à la fin du mois.
Note that the contract expires at the end of the month. (let's note...)
The last three examples show a particularly French use: the nous-imperative as a hedging or framing device in argumentation. Disons que... (let's say that...) and admettons que... (let's grant that...) are how French speakers introduce a hypothetical or a concession. Notons que... is how a writer or speaker draws attention to a point. These are higher-register patterns but not unusual in everyday discussion.
Fixed expressions with the nous-imperative
Several nous-imperative forms have grammaticalized into fixed expressions where the literal "let's" sense is faded.
Allons-y! (Let's go! / Let's start!)
The single most-uttered nous-imperative in French. Means "let's go" both literally (heading to a place) and figuratively (let's start, let's get on with it).
Allons-y, je veux arriver avant la nuit.
Let's go, I want to arrive before nightfall.
Bon, allons-y, racontez-moi tout.
OK, let's get to it, tell me everything.
Allons-y pour la troisième tentative !
Let's go for the third try!
Voyons! (Let's see! / Come on now!)
Two distinct uses, distinguishable mainly by intonation:
- "Let's see" / "let me think" — when puzzling something out.
- "Come on now" / "really!" — mild reproach to a misbehaving child or someone saying something silly.
Voyons, où ai-je mis mes lunettes ?
Let's see, where did I put my glasses?
Voyons un peu ce qu'il a écrit.
Let's have a look at what he wrote.
Voyons, sois un peu raisonnable !
Come on, be reasonable!
Voyons, ce n'est pas si grave !
Come on, it's not that serious!
The double form voyons voir (literally "let's see see") intensifies the first sense — "let's have a look."
Voyons voir comment ça fonctionne.
Let's see how it works.
Disons! / Disons que... (Let's say!)
Used to introduce a tentative formulation, an approximation, or a conversational hedge. English let's say or let's just say are direct translations.
Disons que je ne suis pas convaincu.
Let's just say I'm not convinced.
Disons trois cents euros, ça vous va ?
Let's say three hundred euros, does that work for you?
Disons-le, c'était une mauvaise idée.
Let's say it: it was a bad idea.
Admettons! (Let's grant it! / OK, sure!)
Used as a concession in argument. Literally "let's admit it"; pragmatically "OK, fine, you have a point."
— Il a tout fait tout seul. — Admettons. Et alors ?
He did it all alone. — OK, sure. So what?
Admettons que ce soit vrai. Qu'est-ce que ça change ?
Let's grant it's true. What does that change?
Soyons honnêtes / sérieux / clairs (Let's be honest / serious / clear)
A frame for upcoming speech that signals the speaker is about to say something direct.
Soyons honnêtes : ce n'est pas très bon.
Let's be honest: it's not very good.
Soyons clairs, je ne paierai pas pour ça.
Let's be clear, I'm not going to pay for that.
Soyons réalistes, on n'y arrivera pas en deux jours.
Let's be realistic, we won't manage it in two days.
The Allez! family: encouragement and rallying
The vous imperative Allez! (literally "go!") has detached from its locative meaning and become an all-purpose encouragement marker — closer to English come on!, go on!, let's go! used as cheering. It is one of the most frequent words in spoken French.
Allez, courage, tu vas y arriver !
Come on, you can do it!
Allez, on y va !
Come on, let's go!
Allez, dépêche-toi !
Come on, hurry up!
Allez, ne pleure pas, ce n'est rien.
Come on, don't cry, it's nothing.
Allez, encore un effort !
Come on, one more effort!
The tu form Vas-y! and the vous form Allez-y! function similarly — encouragement to start, continue, or commit to an action.
Vas-y, n'aie pas peur, c'est ton tour !
Go on, don't be afraid, it's your turn!
Allez-y, parlez plus fort, je vous entends mal.
Go on, speak louder, I can hardly hear you.
Vas-y, dis-moi ce que tu en penses.
Go on, tell me what you think.
Sports and fan use
Allez les Bleus! is the rallying cry for the French national football team — and by extension the standard structure for cheering on a team or competitor.
Allez les Bleus, on est avec vous !
Go France, we're with you! (football fans)
Allez Marseille, allez l'OM !
Go Marseille, go OM!
Allez, allez, encore un but !
Come on, come on, one more goal!
The construction is Allez + name of team — extremely productive, used at sports events, races, and any competitive context.
Other encouragement imperatives
A small set of imperatives is used as standalone encouragement, often as one-word interjections.
Courage! (Hang in there! / You can do it!)
Strictly speaking a noun ("courage"), but used as if it were an imperative. The implied verb is something like aie courage (have courage) or bon courage (good courage). It functions as straightforward encouragement.
Plus que dix kilomètres, courage !
Just ten more kilometers, you can do it!
Bon courage pour ton examen !
Good luck with your exam! (courage with bon)
Courage, ça va aller.
Hang in there, it'll be okay.
The phrase bon courage (good courage) is the fixed equivalent of "good luck" when the listener is about to face a difficult task — an exam, a tough day at work, a long trip. It is more nuanced than bonne chance (good luck), which carries the sense of hoping for fortuitous outcomes; bon courage assumes the listener will need stamina more than luck.
Tiens bon! (Hang in there!)
The tu imperative of tenir (to hold) used figuratively. Tenez bon for vous. Literally "hold strong"; figuratively "endure," "don't give up."
Tiens bon, on arrive bientôt.
Hang in there, we'll be there soon.
Tenez bon, le médecin arrive.
Hang on, the doctor's coming.
Tiens bon ce soir, et demain tu te reposes.
Hold on tonight, and tomorrow you rest.
Doucement! (Easy! / Gently!)
An adverb used as a one-word imperative. The implied verb is vas-y doucement (go gently). Used to slow someone down or calm them.
Doucement, tu vas le casser !
Gently, you'll break it!
Doucement, doucement, on a tout notre temps.
Easy, easy, we have all the time in the world.
Doucement avec le sel.
Easy on the salt.
Calme-toi! / Du calme!
Reflexive imperative calme-toi (literally "calm yourself") and the noun-based du calme (literally "some calm"). Both translate to "calm down" or "easy."
Calme-toi, ce n'est pas si grave.
Calm down, it's not that serious.
Du calme, du calme, on va tout arranger.
Easy, easy, we'll sort everything out.
The Tiens! family: surprise and attention
Tiens! is the tu imperative of tenir (to hold), but in spoken French it has lost virtually all connection to "holding" and has become an all-purpose marker of:
- Surprise — "Oh!" / "Hey!" / "Look at that!"
- Handing something over — "Here, take it" (this is the literal sense surviving)
- Recognition — "Oh, it's you!"
Tiens, c'est intéressant, je ne savais pas.
Oh, that's interesting, I didn't know.
Tiens, regarde qui est là !
Oh, look who's here!
Tiens, je t'ai apporté ça.
Here, I brought you this.
Tiens, ça alors !
Well, well, well! (expressing surprise)
Tiens, tiens, tiens...
Well, well, well... (registering an interesting development)
The vous form Tenez! is used in the literal "here, take this" sense to people you address as vous, but in the surprise/discourse-marker sense, Tiens! is the default regardless of who the addressee is.
Tenez, voici votre monnaie.
Here, here's your change. (vendor handing change to customer)
The repetition tiens, tiens is itself a fixed expression meaning roughly "well, well" — registering an unexpected or revealing development.
Dis donc! and the attention-getters
Dis is the tu imperative of dire (to say). Combined with donc (the discourse particle), it forms Dis donc! — a hard-to-translate exclamation meaning roughly "Hey!", "Wow!", "Look here!", or sometimes "Hey now!" with mild reproach.
Dis donc, tu n'as pas chômé !
Wow, you haven't been slacking!
Dis donc, qu'est-ce que tu fais là ?
Hey, what are you doing here?
Dis donc, ça fait longtemps qu'on ne s'est pas vus !
Hey, it's been a while since we last saw each other!
Dis donc, tu pourrais faire attention !
Hey now, you could be more careful!
The vous version Dites donc! works the same way in formal or plural addresses.
The simpler Dis! / Dites! — without donc — is used to get someone's attention or to introduce a question.
Dis, tu veux venir avec nous ?
Hey, do you want to come with us?
Dites, vous savez où est la poste ?
Excuse me, do you know where the post office is?
These are softer and more conversational than the more emphatic dis donc.
Écoute! / Regarde! — discourse-marker imperatives
Two more imperatives that function as discourse markers more than as commands:
Écoute! / Écoutez! (Listen!)
Used to flag that the speaker is about to say something important — but often without any actual expectation that the listener wasn't already listening. English equivalent: "look" / "listen."
Écoute, je sais ce que tu vas dire, mais...
Look, I know what you're going to say, but...
Écoutez, on va faire comme ça : vous prenez la voiture, et moi je rentre à pied.
Look, here's what we'll do: you take the car, and I'll walk home.
Écoute, je n'ai pas le temps de discuter.
Listen, I don't have time to discuss this.
Regarde! / Regardez! (Look!)
Same discourse-marker function. Often paired with explanation or pointing out a fact, even when there's nothing literally to "look at."
Regarde, c'est simple : tu cliques ici, et c'est fini.
Look, it's simple: you click here, and it's done.
Regardez, je vous explique.
Look, let me explain.
These are conversational softeners, used to introduce explanations or arguments. Their force is roughly "I'm asking you to give me a moment of attention." They are not literal commands to direct the gaze or ear.
The Attends! family: pausing the interaction
Attends! (Wait!) and Attendez! (formal/plural) are imperatives that function as conversational pauses — asking the interlocutor to stop, slow down, or hold a thought.
Attends, je n'ai pas fini.
Wait, I haven't finished.
Attends, je réfléchis.
Hold on, I'm thinking.
Attendez, je vais vérifier dans l'ordinateur.
Hold on, I'll check on the computer.
Attends voir... non, c'était un mardi.
Let me see... no, it was a Tuesday.
The compound attends voir (literally "wait see") is a colloquial form for "let me think" or "let me check."
Why these patterns matter
The exhortative and encouragement imperatives are not optional vocabulary. They are the connective tissue of spoken French. A French conversation among friends or colleagues will contain dozens of these markers per hour: Allez, Bon allez, Tiens, Dis donc, Écoute, Regarde, Attends, Voyons, Bon disons, Soyons sérieux. A learner who masters formal grammar but doesn't use these markers will sound stiff, formal, and uncommunicative — even with otherwise correct French.
Conversely, sprinkling allez!, tiens!, and écoute! into your speech does more for your sound of fluency than memorizing another tense. These are how French speakers manage the flow of conversation — signaling attention, marking transitions, expressing surprise, encouraging each other.
Common Mistakes
Mistake 1: Translating tiens! literally.
Tiens! is the imperative of tenir (to hold), but in its discourse-marker use it does NOT mean "hold!" Translating Tiens, c'est intéressant as "Hold, it's interesting" is wrong — the meaning is "Oh, that's interesting."
❌ Tiens! → Hold! (in surprise context)
Wrong: in this use, tiens means 'oh!' or 'hey!' — not literal holding.
✅ Tiens, je ne savais pas !
Oh, I didn't know!
Mistake 2: Underusing Allez!.
English speakers often default to vas-y or avance in encouragement contexts, but Allez! is by far the most frequent French equivalent of come on! and the most common rallying cry.
❌ Avance ! Tu vas y arriver !
Less natural: not the standard encouragement form.
✅ Allez ! Tu vas y arriver !
Come on! You can do it!
Mistake 3: Confusing the two senses of voyons!.
Voyons literally means "let's see," but the two pragmatic uses (puzzling vs. mild reproach) require attention to context. Saying Voyons! to a misbehaving child is a reproach, not a "let's see" invitation.
❌ Voyons, où est mon livre ? (said sharply, to a child)
Confusing: with sharp tone, voyons reads as a reproach, not as 'let's see.'
✅ Voyons, où est mon livre ? (gently, to oneself)
Let's see, where's my book?
Mistake 4: Translating bon courage as "good luck."
The two are not equivalent. Bonne chance (good luck) hopes for fortuitous outcomes; bon courage assumes the listener faces a difficult task and wishes them stamina. For an exam, both work; for the start of a long workday, bon courage is right.
❌ Bonne chance pour ta journée ! (to someone starting a hard day)
Slightly off — bon courage is the standard wish for facing demanding tasks.
✅ Bon courage pour ta journée !
Hang in there for your day!
Mistake 5: Using Allons! (without -y) in modern speech.
The bare Allons! (without the y) means "let's go" but feels old-fashioned in modern spoken French. The default is Allons-y!. Bare Allons! survives mainly in literary and slightly archaic contexts.
❌ Allons ! (used to say 'let's go')
Slightly old-fashioned in modern conversation; sounds literary.
✅ Allons-y !
Let's go! (modern default)
(Note: Allons! without -y is also used as a discourse marker meaning "come on now" — that use is still current. It's the locative "let's go" sense that has migrated to Allons-y!.)
Key takeaways
- The first-person plural imperative (nous form, no subject pronoun) means "let's": Allons-y!, Mangeons!, Soyons honnêtes.
- French uses the nous-imperative more freely than English uses let's — Disons que..., Admettons que..., Voyons un peu are all everyday expressions.
- Allez! is the all-purpose encouragement marker — "come on," "go for it," "let's go." Used freely in conversation, sports, and as a transition marker.
- Tiens! in conversation is "oh!" / "hey!" — a marker of surprise, recognition, or handing-over. Not literally "hold!"
- Voyons! has two uses: "let's see" (puzzling) and "come on now" (mild reproach), distinguished by context.
- Dis donc! and Dites donc! are attention-getters meaning "hey!" or "wow!" — sometimes with mild reproach.
- Écoute! and Regarde! are discourse markers ("look," "listen") used to introduce explanations, often without literal sensory reference.
- These markers are the connective tissue of spoken French. Mastering them does more for fluency than another verb tense.
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