Tes vêtements sont propres, ne te salis pas !

Questions & Answers about Tes vêtements sont propres, ne te salis pas !

Why is it ne te salis pas and not ne salis-toi pas?
In negative commands, the reflexive pronoun stays before the verb and takes its normal form (te, nous, vous). You only use -toi attached to the end of the verb in affirmative commands (like salis-toi ! meaning get dirty!). So, do not get dirty is ne te salis pas !
What does the te do in ne te salis pas?
It makes the verb reflexive. Salir means to dirty or to soil something else. Se salir means to get dirty (literally to dirty oneself). The te shows you are telling the person not to dirty themselves.
Wait, doesn't the tu form drop the "s" in commands? Why is it salis?
You only drop the final "s" for -er verbs (like mange ! or parle !). Because se salir is an -ir verb, it keeps the "s" in the tu command form, exactly as it does in the normal present tense.
Why is there an "s" at the end of propres?
Propres is an adjective describing vêtements (clothes). Since tes vêtements is plural, the adjective describing it must also be plural, which is why you add an "s" to the singular word propre.

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