Question 1

Why does pétris end in an 's' but couvre does not, if they are both tu commands?

Accepted Answer

Both pétrir (to knead) and couvrir (to cover) are -ir verbs, but they follow different rules. Pétrir is a regular -ir verb, so its tu form keeps the 's' (pétris). Couvrir is an irregular -ir verb that is conjugated like an -er verb. In the imperative, -er verbs drop the final 's' in the tu form, which is why we get couvre.

Question 2

Why is the pronoun attached with a hyphen in couvre-la?

Accepted Answer

In affirmative commands, French uses the imperative form and places the object pronoun directly after the verb, joined by a hyphen. Here, la refers to la pâte (the dough). If it were a negative command, the pronoun would go back in front of the verb: ne la couvre pas (do not cover it).

Question 3

Does la pâte mean pasta here?

Accepted Answer

No, in the singular, la pâte usually refers to dough, batter, or pastry. When you want to talk about pasta, you almost always use the plural form: les pâtes.

Question 4

Why is bien placed right after the verb instead of after the object?

Accepted Answer

In French, short adverbs like bien typically follow the conjugated verb immediately. While in English we put the adverb at the end ('Knead the dough well'), in French you must keep the short adverb close to the verb, before the direct object: Pétris bien la pâte.

Pétris bien la pâte, puis couvre-la avec le torchon.

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