Key Commands (Consignes)

In French, we use the imperative form to give orders or instructions. This form tells someone to do something.

How to Make Commands

To give a command, you often use the base form of the verb (the infinitive without -er, -ir, or -re).

Example from the textbook:

• Tu manges vite. → Mange vite!
• Tu fermes ton livre. → Ferme ton livre!
• Vous mangez beaucoup. → Mangez beaucoup!

Important Negative Commands

To tell someone NOT to do something, put "ne... pas" around the verb.

• Ne traverse pas le jardin! (Do not cross the garden!)
• Ne cours pas sur la route! (Do not run on the road!)

Traffic Lights (Les Feux)

When the light is red, vehicles and pedestrians must stop (arrer, s'arrêter). When it is green, everyone can go (passer, traverser).

Example from the dialogue:

Zawadi: Le feu passe au vert. On y va. Les voitures s'arrêtent maintenant. (The light turns green. We can go. The cars stop now.)

Road Signs (Les Panneaux de Signalisation)

How to Use Road Signs

When you see a sign, you must follow what it says.

From the textbook:

• Tournez à gauche! → Turn left!
• Traversez sur les lignes blanches! → Cross on the white lines!
• Nous ne pouvons pas traverser. → We cannot cross.

Pouvoir (Can / To Be Able To)

Examples:

• Je peux entrer. → I can come in.
• Tu peux écrire. → You can write.
• Nous pouvons traverser. → We can cross.

Vouloir (Want / To Want)

Examples:

• Je veux sortir. → I want to go out.
• Elle veut entrer. → She wants to come in.

1. Transform these sentences into commands:

(a) Vous regardez la télévision. → Regardez la télévision!

(b) Tu vas à l'école. → Va à l'école!

(c) Nous mangeons au restaurant. → Mangeons au restaurant!

2. Complete with the correct form of "pouvoir" or "vouloir":

(a) Tu veux jouer de la guitar. (veux/veut)

(b) Nous pouvons arriver vendredi. (pouvons/peut)

(c) Elle veut entrer en classe. (veux/veut)

• Use the imperative to give commands (Danse! / Dansez!)
• Put "ne... pas" for negative commands (Ne cours pas!)
• Follow traffic lights: red means stop, green means go
• Learn common road signs: passage piétons, hôpital, arrêt, attention
• Remember pouvoir = can, and vouloir = want

In Tanzania, you use these road safety skills every day when walking to school or the market. For example, when you are near a busy road in Dar es Salaam or near your school in a rural area, you must wait at a red light or look both ways before crossing the road. If you see a sign that says "Hospital" or "Hôpital," you know there is a hospital nearby and drivers must drive carefully. Knowing how to follow these instructions helps keep you and your family safe when traveling on the roads.