Saying you have to do something
Key points
- The verb devoir means to have to. Like pouvoir, it is nearly always used to introduce a verb.
- You might wish to learn a softer form known as the conditional: tu devrais. This means you should.
When you want to express the idea of having to do something, the commonest way is to use devoir plus another verb . Devoir conjugates as follows:
| devoir to have to | ||
|---|---|---|
| je | dois | |
| tu | dois | |
| il / elle | doit | |
| nous | devons | |
| vous | devez | |
| ils / elles | doivent | |
Like pouvoir, devoir is nearly always used to introduce a verb .
Je dois faire mes devoirs
I must do my homework
Il doit faire plus d'efforts
He must make more effort
Nous devons arriver à neuf heures
We must arrive at nine o’clock
Elles doivent rentrer avant le dîner
They must get back before dinner
Note
Like you must in English, tu dois can sometimes sound a bit harsh. A way of “softening” it is to use the form known as the conditional:
Tu devrais t'excuser
You ought to apologize