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FRENCH VERB

devoir

to have to

  • #12 most used
  • Irregular -ir verb
  • Past participle: dû
  • Present participle: devant

Conjugation

Tap any form to hear it. The part that changes is in colour.

Present

Présent · now, habits and facts

  1. je I have to
  2. tu you have to
  3. il, elle, on he/she has to
  4. nous we have to
  5. vous you have to
  6. ils, elles they have to

Past

Passé composé · finished actions

  1. je I had to
  2. tu you had to
  3. il, elle, on he/she had to
  4. nous we had to
  5. vous you had to
  6. ils, elles they had to

Imperfect

Imparfait · “used to” and “was …ing”

  1. je I used to have to
  2. tu you used to have to
  3. il, elle, on he/she used to have to
  4. nous we used to have to
  5. vous you used to have to
  6. ils, elles they used to have to

Future

Futur simple · plans; in speech, “je vais parler” is just as common

  1. je I will have to
  2. tu you will have to
  3. il, elle, on he/she will have to
  4. nous we will have to
  5. vous you will have to
  6. ils, elles they will have to

Conditional

Conditionnel · “would”, polite requests

  1. je I would have to
  2. tu you would have to
  3. il, elle, on he/she would have to
  4. nous we would have to
  5. vous you would have to
  6. ils, elles they would have to

Present subjunctive

Subjonctif présent · wishes, doubts, “il faut que …”

  1. je (that) I have to
  2. tu (that) you have to
  3. il, elle, on (that) he/she have to
  4. nous (that) we have to
  5. vous (that) you have to
  6. ils, elles (that) they have to

Imperative

Impératif · requests and orders

  1. tu have to!
  2. nous have to! (let’s)
  3. vous have to! (plural, or formal)

How to use devoir

One sentence for each tense, the way people say it.

  1. Present

    Je dois partir, mon train est à six heures.

    I have to go, my train's at six.

  2. Past

    On a dû attendre une heure sous la pluie.

    We had to wait an hour in the rain.

  3. Imperfect

    Il devait venir, mais il a eu un problème.

    He was supposed to come, but he had a problem.

  4. Future

    Vous devrez montrer votre passeport à l'entrée.

    You'll have to show your passport at the entrance.

  5. Conditional

    Tu devrais aller voir un médecin.

    You should go and see a doctor.

  6. Present subjunctive

    Je ne pense pas qu'il doive payer ça.

    I don't think he has to pay that.

  7. Imperative

    Ne dois jamais d'argent à tes amis.

    Never owe money to your friends.

Good to know

  • Devoir is also to owe: tu me dois dix euros.
  • "Je devrais" is "I should"; "j'aurais dû" is "I should have".

Where you hear devoir

The lessons that teach a form of it, and how they say it.

French · Beginner Level 2

  • Je dois appeler madame Garnier. I have to call Madame Garnier.
  • J'ai dû appeler un plombier. I had to call a plumber.
  • Vous allez devoir changer le chauffe-eau. You're going to have to change the water heater.

French · Beginner Level 3

  • Je dois en parler à ma banque. I have to talk to my bank about it.
  • J'aurais dû t'appeler. I should have called you.
  • Vous devriez commencer petit. You should start small.
8
No Hot Water

Beginner Level 2 · vous devez · je dois · tu dois

Needs a subscription 3
At the Prefecture

Beginner Level 3 · Je dois revenir ?

Needs a subscription 25
The First Argument

Beginner Level 3 · j'aurais dû · Tu devrais

Needs a subscription 26
A Talk with Nathalie

Beginner Level 3 · vous devriez

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Verbs like this one

The same pattern, on other verbs: irregular -ir verb.