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FRENCH VERB

vouloir

to want

  • #9 most used
  • Irregular -ir verb
  • Past participle: voulu
  • Present participle: voulant

Conjugation

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

Present

Présent · now, habits and facts

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

Past

Passé composé · finished actions

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

Imperfect

Imparfait · “used to” and “was …ing”

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

Future

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

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

Conditional

Conditionnel · “would”, polite requests

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

Present subjunctive

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

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

Imperative

Impératif · requests and orders

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

How to use vouloir

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

  1. Present

    Tu veux un café ou un thé ?

    Do you want a coffee or a tea?

  2. Past

    Il a voulu payer, mais j'ai refusé.

    He wanted to pay, but I refused.

  3. Imperfect

    On voulait partir tôt, mais on a raté le bus.

    We wanted to leave early, but we missed the bus.

  4. Future

    Elle voudra sûrement venir avec nous.

    She'll surely want to come with us.

  5. Conditional

    Je voudrais un croissant et un café, s'il vous plaît.

    I'd like a croissant and a coffee, please.

  6. Present subjunctive

    Qu'il le veuille ou non, on part à neuf heures.

    Whether he likes it or not, we leave at nine.

  7. Imperative

    Veuillez attendre ici, le docteur arrive.

    Please wait here, the doctor is coming.

Good to know

  • Je voudrais is the polite I would like; je veux sounds blunt in a shop.
  • Veuillez is the formal please of signs and emails : veuillez patienter.

Where you hear vouloir

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

French · Beginner Level 1

  • Je veux un café au lait. I want a coffee with milk.
  • J'ai voulu prendre le train de midi. I wanted to take the noon train.
  • Tu vas vouloir encore du fromage ! You're going to want more cheese!

French · Beginner Level 3

  • Si tu veux, on peut aller au cinéma. If you want, we can go to the cinema.
  • J'ai voulu t'appeler. I wanted to call you.
  • Elle va vouloir le rencontrer. She'll want to meet him.
4
Do You Want a Coffee?

Beginner Level 1 · tu veux · je voudrais · que tu veux · vous voulez

Needs a subscription 7
I'm Hungry

Beginner Level 1 · vous voulez

Needs a subscription 17
Sunday Lunch

Beginner Level 1 · en voulez encore · Vous en voulez encore ?

Needs a subscription 3
At the Prefecture

Beginner Level 3 · J'en veux.

Needs a subscription 22
Dinner with Hugo

Beginner Level 3 · Si tu veux. · si je veux

Needs a subscription

Verbs like this one

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