Tourne la poignée doucement.

Turn the handle gently.

Breakdown of Tourne la poignée doucement.

• doucement: gently
• la poignée: the handle
• tourner: to turn

Questions & Answers about Tourne la poignée doucement.

Why is there no subject pronoun (like tu) in this sentence?

Because it’s in the imperative mood (a command). In French imperatives, the subject pronoun is omitted. So Tourne (tu), Tournez (vous), or Tournons (nous) appear without pronouns in commands.

Why is it Tourne and not Tournes?

For regular -er verbs in the imperative with tu, French drops the final -s: tu tournes (indicative) → Tourne (imperative). Exception: you add the -s back when the verb is immediately followed by y or en for smooth pronunciation, e.g., Tournes‑y; Tournes‑en.

How would I make this command polite or address multiple people?

Use the vous imperative: Tournez la poignée doucement. That’s polite for one person or correct for more than one person. You can soften it further with S’il vous plaît at the end.

Could I say Tournons la poignée doucement?

Yes, but that means Let’s turn the handle slowly (1st‑person plural imperative). It invites the speaker and listener to act together, not a direct instruction to the other person.

Where should the adverb doucement go? Can I move it?