This French A2 lesson explains French recipe imperative step by step, with examples in French and English. Then practise with the worksheet on French recipe imperative and check yourself with the quiz.
Quick answer: French recipes use the imperative, the present-tense form without the subject: Coupez les oignons, Ajoutez du sel, Faites cuire. After a quantity, use de with no article: 200 g de farine, une pincée de sel. Learn the cooking verbs in the order of the steps, from éplucher to faire cuire.
Level: French A2 (CEFR elementary) · Standards: CEFR A2, Reading
French recipe imperative: the lesson
How do you give instructions in a French recipe?
French recipes use the imperative: the present-tense form without the subject. Say Coupe (to a friend), Coupez (to several people or politely) or Coupons (let us cut). Printed recipes often use the infinitive instead: Mélanger les œufs.
| Verb | tu | nous | vous |
|---|---|---|---|
| couper | Coupe | Coupons | Coupez |
| mélanger | Mélange | Mélangeons | Mélangez |
| faire | Fais | Faisons | Faites |
| mettre | Mets | Mettons | Mettez |
Rule: forming the imperative
Take the present tense of {tu}, {nous} or {vous} and drop the pronoun. For {-er} verbs, the {tu} form loses its {-s}: {tu coupes} becomes {Coupe}. For the negative, wrap {ne … pas} around the verb: {Ne mets pas trop de sel.}
Watch out
The verb {faire} is irregular in the {vous} form: {Faites cuire}, never {faisez cuire}. And in {faire cuire} only {faire} changes; {cuire} stays in the infinitive.
Which verbs do you need in the kitchen?
| French | English |
|---|---|
| éplucher | to peel |
| couper | to cut |
| mélanger | to mix |
| verser | to pour |
| faire cuire | to cook |
| faire revenir | to brown in a pan |
| laisser reposer | to let rest |
| égoutter | to drain |
Example: a short recipe
{Épluchez les pommes de terre. Coupez-les en rondelles. Mettez-les dans un plat. Ajoutez la crème et faites cuire 45 minutes à 180 °C.}
Peel the potatoes. Cut them into slices. Put them in a dish. Add the cream and cook for 45 minutes at 180 °C.
How do you say how much of something?
After a quantity, French uses de (or d’ before a vowel) with no article: 200 g de beurre, un peu de sel, beaucoup d’huile. Exact numbers need un, deux, trois with the noun: trois œufs.
| Quantity | Example |
|---|---|
| une cuillère à soupe de | une cuillère à soupe de sucre |
| une pincée de | une pincée de sel |
| 25 cl de | 25 cl de lait |
| un peu de | un peu de poivre |
Culture note
Crêpes are the traditional dish of La Chandeleur, on February 2. Many families flip the first crêpe with a coin in the other hand. Ratatouille comes from Provence, and gratin dauphinois from the Dauphiné region around Grenoble.
Zoé’s tip
Read the whole recipe once before you start. The verbs come in the order you will do the steps, so the list of verbs is also your timer: first {éplucher}, last {faire cuire}.
Key points to remember
- The imperative has three forms: tu, nous and vous, with no subject pronoun.
- The tu form of an -er verb drops the final -s: Coupe.
- Faire gives Faites in the vous imperative.
- After a quantity, use de or d’ without an article: un peu de sel.
Cooking Instructions and Kitchen Measures: frequently asked questions
How do you form the imperative in French?
Use the present tense of tu, nous or vous without the pronoun. With -er verbs, drop the -s of the tu form: Mélange. Irregular examples are Fais, Faites and Prends.
Do French recipes use tu or vous?
Cookbooks and websites mostly use vous or the infinitive. Friends and family use tu when they share a recipe by message.
How do you say “a pinch of salt” in French?
Say une pincée de sel. After a quantity word, de or d’ replaces the article, so you never say une pincée du sel.
What does faire revenir mean?
It means to brown food in a pan with a little fat, for example onions in oil. Only faire is conjugated: Faites revenir les oignons.
How do you say “do not add salt” in a recipe?
Use ne … pas around the imperative: N’ajoutez pas de sel. After a negative, de replaces du.