FRENCH VERB FALLOIR – IL FAUT – PRESENT TENSE LESSON
→ Watch my video lesson on the French verb FALLOIR below, or watch in on YouTube.
→ Take the quiz at the end of the video to see how you can avoid using the subjunctive.
The French verb FALLOIR is an IMPERSONAL verb. You can only use it in the IL form. In this lesson we will focus on the present tense, but you can use this verb in many other tenses.
Examples from the video lesson:
1. Il faut un passeport pour voyager à l’étranger.
IL FAUT + NOUN
You need a passport to travel abroad.
2. Il faut manger pour vivre et non vivre pour manger.
IL FAUT + INFINITIVE
You must eat to live and not live to eat.
3. Il faut commencer maintenant.
IL FAUT + INFINITIVE We need to start now.
Falloir = Avoir besoin de
You can still use the verbs DEVOIR and AVOIR BESOIN DE to mean MUST or NEED, but you’ll sound much more French if you use FALLOIR!
When you use the French verb FALLOIR with the indirect object pronouns ME – TE – LUI – NOUS – VOUS – LEUR you can totally avoid the subjunctive by following them up with an INFINITIVE.
Just remember when translating sentences to English, IL will not be the first word you translate. It will be the pronoun. English and French are just different that way. Look at the following examples.
1. Il me faut un nouvel appartement.
I need a new apartment.
2. Il te faut des oeufs?
Do you need eggs?
3. Il lui faut son maillot de bain.
He / She needs his / her swimsuit.
4. Il lui faut ses baskets.
He / She needs his / her sports shoes.
5. Il nous faut une grande voiture.
We need a big car.
6. Il vous faut trois euros.
You need three euros.
7. Il leur faut du travail.
They need work.
