préparez

Préparez is a form of the French verb préparer, meaning to prepare or to get ready. In standard present-tense usage, vous pré­pa­rez corresponds to the second-person plural subject you (you all) or the polite singular form, and is commonly used as the present indicative. It is also the imperative form used to give a command or instruction to one or more people, as in Préparez les documents or Préparez-vous.

Etymology and origin: préparer comes from Old French préparer, which itself derives from Latin praeparare, meaning to prepare in advance or to prepare beforehand. The prefix pra- conveys the sense of beforehand, and the root parare means to arrange or prepare.

Usage and examples: Préparez is widely used with direct objects, for example: Vous préparez le dîner. Préparez vos dossiers pour la réunion. In the reflexive case, the verb appears as se préparer, and the imperative form becomes Préparez-vous, meaning “Prepare yourselves.” The form is also found in formal or instructional contexts where addressing a group of people is appropriate.

Pronunciation: Préparez is pronounced approximately as [pʁe.pʁa.ʁe], with the final -ez typically silent in standard French. The preceding syllable é is pronounced with the closed e sound. The exact pronunciation can vary slightly by speaker and regional accent.

Conjugation notes: Beyond the vous form pré­pa­rez, the verb has related forms such as je prépare, tu prépares, il prépare, nous préparons, ils préparent; the infinitive is préparer, and the past participle is préparé. The word is common in education, work, cooking, and daily conversation.