secouez

Secouez is the second-person plural present imperative form of the French verb secouer, meaning to shake. It is used to give a direct command to shake something, or to prompt someone to act with energy or urgency in a figurative sense. In practical contexts, it appears on product labels and in instructional text, for example “Secouez avant utilisation” (Shake before use) or “Secouez le shaker vigoureusement” (Shake the shaker vigorously).

Conjugation of secouer follows a regular -er verb pattern in the present tense: je secoue, tu secoues, il secoue, nous secouons, vous secouez, ils secouent. The imperative forms are secoue (tu), secouons (nous), and secouez (vous). Thus, you would say “Secouez le mélange” to instruct a group to shake the mixture, or “Secoue-le” to address a single person informally.

Usage notes: secouer can also carry non-literal meanings, such as to jolt or alarm someone, or to motivate action, as in “Cela va te secouer” (That will shake you up). It appears in everyday speech, manuals, recipes, and safety warnings where physical or figurative shaking is involved.

Translation and nuance: secouer translates to shake, shake up, or rattle, depending on context. As an imperative, secouez specifically commands a group or a formal address to perform the action of shaking. Pronunciation is roughly su-kwe, with the final vowel often linked to the surrounding phonetics in fluent speech.