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Choisis un mot de passe simple, puis change ce mot de passe souvent.

Choisis un mot de passe simple, puis change ce mot de passe souvent.
Choose a simple password, then change that password often.
FromLesson 23inHardcore French

Breakdown of Choisis un mot de passe simple, puis change ce mot de passe souvent.

souvent
often
choisir
to choose
changer
to change
simple
simple
ce
that
puis
then
le mot de passe
the password

Questions & Answers about Choisis un mot de passe simple, puis change ce mot de passe souvent.

What grammatical mood is this, and why is there no subject pronoun?
It’s the imperative mood, used for commands and instructions. In French imperatives, the subject pronoun (tu, nous, vous) is omitted: you say Choisis ! (not Tu choisis !) and Change ! (not Tu changes !). Here both verbs address a single person with the informal tu form.
Why does Choisis end in -is while change has no -s?

They follow different imperative patterns:

  • For regular -ER verbs like changer, the tu imperative drops the final -s: Parle !, Change ! (not Parles !, Changes !).
  • For -IR verbs of the “second group” like choisir, the tu imperative ends in -is: Finis !, Choisis !.
  • Exception to the -ER rule: before the pronouns y and en, you add back -s for euphony: Parles-en !, Vas-y !, Changes-en souvent !. But with other pronouns, you don’t add -s: Change-le souvent !
Can I say this politely or to more than one person?
Yes, use vous: Choisissez un mot de passe simple, puis changez ce mot de passe souvent.
Is there a neutral/instructional alternative to the imperative?

Yes:

  • Infinitive instruction style: Choisir un mot de passe simple, puis le changer souvent.
  • Polite request: Veuillez choisir un mot de passe simple, puis le changer souvent.
Why repeat mot de passe? Can I use a pronoun instead?

You can (and in French it’s very natural):

  • Affirmative imperative: pronoun after the verb with hyphens: … puis change-le souvent.
  • Negative imperative: pronoun before the verb: … puis ne le change pas souvent. If you phrase it with changer de mot de passe, the pronoun is en: … puis changes-en souvent.
What’s the difference between changer le mot de passe and changer de mot de passe?
  • Changer le mot de passe treats it as something you modify; it’s common in tech/UX wording: Changez votre mot de passe.
  • Changer de mot de passe emphasizes replacing it with a different one: Changez souvent de mot de passe. Pronouns reflect this:
  • le with direct object: Changez-le souvent.
  • en with changer de: Changez-en souvent.
Is mot de passe masculine or feminine, and how do I make it plural?
It’s masculine: un mot de passe. The plural is des mots de passe (only the first noun takes the plural): not mots de passes.
Why is it de and not du in mot de passe?
Because de here introduces a noun complement that specifies type or function, not possession or a specific instance. It means “password” as a compound noun, not “word of the pass/the past.” So it’s mot de passe, not mot du passe.
Why passe and not passé?
Passe is a noun here (related to “a pass/permit” in older usage). Passé with an accent means “past” (adjective/noun) or a past participle. Mot de passé would be incorrect.
Where should I put souvent? Is the position at the end okay?

Yes. With simple tenses:

  • Typical: after the verb: Change souvent ce mot de passe.
  • Also fine (slightly more colloquial or emphatic on the object): Change ce mot de passe souvent.
  • With a pronoun: Change-le souvent. All are acceptable; choose the one that sounds most natural in your context.
What’s the nuance between puis, ensuite, and après?
  • puis and ensuite both mean “then/next”; ensuite may feel a touch more neutral in speech, puis is very common in writing.
  • après is often used as a preposition (après ça, après cela, après cela, change…) or as après, … in informal sequencing. In your sentence, puis or ensuite are the cleanest choices.
Does the position of simple change the meaning?

Yes.

  • un mot de passe simple = a simple/easy-to-remember password (literal descriptive meaning).
  • un simple mot de passe = merely a password, nothing more (restrictive/evaluative meaning). Your sentence needs un mot de passe simple.
Why ce mot de passe and not cet mot de passe?
Use ce before masculine nouns starting with a consonant: ce mot. Use cet before vowel sounds or silent h: cet ordinateur, cet homme, cet hôtel.
Should it be un mot de passe or ton/votre mot de passe?

Both are possible:

  • un mot de passe when you’re telling someone to create one (indefinite, a new item).
  • ton/votre mot de passe when referring to the person’s specific password: Choisissez un mot de passe simple, puis changez-le souvent. or … puis changez votre mot de passe souvent.
How do I pronounce the tricky parts?

Approximate guide (IPA in slashes):

  • Choisis: “shwah-zee” /ʃwa.zi/
  • un: nasal “uh(n)” /œ̃/
  • mot: “mo” /mo/
  • de: weak “duh” /də/
  • passe: “pass” /pas/
  • simple: “san-pl(uh)” /sɛ̃pl/
  • puis: “pwee” /pɥi/
  • change: “shahnzh” /ʃɑ̃ʒ/
  • ce: “suh” /sə/
  • souvent: “soo-vahn” /su.vɑ̃/
Is the comma before puis necessary?
It’s optional and stylistic. A comma before puis is common to mark a brief pause: …, puis …. You can also write it without the comma in a short sentence: Choisis…, puis change… or Choisis… puis change… both read fine.
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“How does grammatical gender work in French?”
Every French noun is either masculine or feminine, and this affects the articles and adjectives used with it. "Le" is used with masculine nouns and "la" with feminine ones. Adjectives also change form to match — for example, "petit" (masc.) becomes "petite" (fem.).

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