A2BeginnerVerbs · Point 10 / 40
prendre, attendre, remplir, montrer, ne pas doubler, vouloir
To tell someone what to do without sounding abrupt, French uses the “vous” form of the verb with no pronoun.
| Infinitive | “vous” form | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| prendre | Prenez | verb meaning “to take” |
| attendre | Attendez | verb meaning “to wait” |
| remplir | Remplissez | verb meaning “to fill out” |
| montrer | Montrez | verb meaning “to show” |
| ne pas doubler | Ne doublez pas | instruction not to double something |
| vouloir | Veuillez | here, the very polite form used to give an instruction |
Same form as “vous” in the present tense, without the pronoun. Three exceptions worth knowing: “être” → “Soyez”, “avoir” → “Ayez”, “vouloir” → “Veuillez” (the wording of official letters).
In context
Examples from our dialogues
Lines taken from our dialogues. Listen to them, then open the full dialogue to hear them in a real situation.
- Listen
Prenez un numéro là-bas, puis attendez qu'on vous appelle.
Take a number over there, then wait until you're called.
Check The Full DialogueAt a government counterÀ un guichet gouvernemental
A2 - Listen
Prenez-la dès que vous y pensez, sauf si c'est presque l'heure de la suivante. Ne doublez jamais la dose.
Take it as soon as you remember, unless it's almost time for the next one. Never double the dose.
- Listen
Prenez rendez-vous avec votre médecin ou en clinique. Rappelez-nous au besoin. Merci, ça me rassure beaucoup.
Make an appointment with your doctor or at a clinic. Call us back if needed. Thank you, that reassures me a lot.
Check The Full DialogueHandling a small emergencyGérer une petite urgence
B1
Watch out
Common mistakes
Mistakes you will often hear, and the right way to say it.
Prends un numéro.Prenez un numéro.
With a stranger or an employee you use “vous”. “Prends” (the “tu” form) sounds familiar, sometimes rude.
Read
Related readings
Short texts where this point comes up. Read them to see it inside a story.
In real life
Guides where this comes up
Spot this point while reading a guide about a real task in Quebec.