These words are used a lot when giving instructions. Learn them well:

• Entrer — to come in / enter
• Sortir — to go out
• Aller — to go
• Ouvrir — to open
• Donner — to give
• Écrire — to write
• Lire — to read
• Écouter — to listen
• Répondre — to answer
• Passer — to pass

In French, we use the imperative form to tell someone to do something. There are two main forms:

1. Informal (talking to a friend or someone your age)

Use the verb without "tu" or "nous."

2. Formal (talking to a teacher, adult, or in polite situations)

Add -ez to the verb stem, or use the plural "vous" form.

The verb pouvoir means "can" or "may." It is very useful when asking for permission or help.

Dialogue: Following Instructions at School

Listen to this dialogue and see how the students follow instructions:

• Teacher: Bonjour les enfants ! Entrez en classe !
• Children: Bonjour monsieur/madame !
• Teacher: Ouvrez vos cahiers à la page 10.
• Teacher: Écrivez la date en haut de la page.
• Teacher: Répondez aux questions 1 et 2.
• Student: Monsieur, je ne comprends pas la question 2.
• Teacher: Demande à ton voisin. Travaillez en groupe !

What did the teacher ask the students to do?

1. Enter the classroom → Entrez en classe !
2. Open notebooks → Ouvrez vos cahiers !
3. Write the date → Écrivez la date !
4. Answer questions → Répondez aux questions !
5. Work in group → Travaillez en groupe !

Sometimes instructions are written down. Here are some examples:

Example 1: A Text Message (Un texto)

Fatou: Salut Mauna ! Tu peux venir à ma fête d'anniversaire samedi prochain ? Ça commence à 16h. Réponds-moi vite !

Questions:

• Who wrote this message? — Fatou
• Who is it for? — Mauna
• What time does the party start? — À 16h (quatre heures)

Example 2: A Note from Parent

Bonjour monsieur, Mon fils Zawadi ne peut pas venir à l'école aujourd'hui. Il est malade. Son père.

Questions:

• Who wrote this? — Le père de Zawadi
• Why? — Pour informer que Zawadi est malade
• Who received it? — Le professeur

Learn these useful expressions:

• Répètez s'il vous plaît. — Repeat please.
• Je ne comprends pas. — I don't understand.
• Tu peux m'aider ? — Can you help me?
• Oui, bien sûr. — Yes, of course.
• Pardon, vous pouvez répéter ? — Sorry, can you repeat?

Complete these sentences using: peux, peut, pouvez

(a) Tu ____________ me donner ton stylo ?
(b) Excusez-moi monsieur, vous ____________ venir avec nous ?
(c) Je ____________ regarder la télévision ?
(d) Il ____________ écrire un message.
(e) Nous ____________ étudier ensemble.

Answers: (a) peux, (b) pouvez, (c) peux, (d) peut, (e) pouvons

In Tanzania, you can use what you have learned to follow simple instructions in French in real situations. For example, if you visit a French-speaking country like Kenya or Rwanda on a school trip, you will understand instructions like "Suivez-moi" (Follow me) or "Ouvrez votre passeport" (Open your passport) at the airport. Also, when learning French for business, you will need to understand written instructions from French-speaking clients or follow spoken directions from a French-speaking teacher in a local language school in Dar es Salaam or Arusha. Knowing how to follow simple instructions in French helps you communicate better and builds confidence for further learning.