17.4 Position of the pronouns in imperative clauses


17.4.1 Specialty me/te => moi/toi

The pronouns are set after the imperative and they are connected with a hyphen. Further, there is the specialty that instead of the connected personal pronouns me, te the unconnected personal pronouns moi, toi are used. The other personal pronouns are used in the connected form, however, all hyphenated.

We have seen the unconnected personal pronouns in clauses as the following one, where they are used to form the dative/indirect object:

  Example

Il l' a dit à moi et pas à toi.

  He told it to me and not to you.

With the imperative they are not only used for the dative/indirect object, but for any object.

  Examples

Dis-moi ce que tu en penses.

  Tell me what you think. (dative/indirect object)
  Raconte-moi.
  Tell me. (dative/indirect object)

Sauve-toi.

  Save yourself. (accusative/direct object)

Rappelle-toi.

  Remember. (Here the French verb has an object, even though in English there is none.)






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