French Verb Devoir

The French Verb Devoir

The French verb devoir means TO HAVE TO – MUST.  Using this verb in the conditional tense is a way to speak politely in French. Like many verbs, DEVOIR can be followed directly by an infinitive.

Watch my lesson on the French verb devoir at the bottom of this lesson, and you can download a free PDF of this lesson guide in my private French Grammar Library.

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French Verb Devoir:  Present tense conjugation

Je dois I have to	Nous devons We have to
Tu dois You have to	Vous devez You have to
Il – Elle – On doit He – She – One has to *ON DOIT also means WE HAVE TO	Ils – Elles doivent They have to

French Verb Devoir:  Present conditional conjugation

Je devrais I should	Nous devrions We should
Tu devrais You should	Vous devriez You should
Il – Elle – On devrait He – She – One should *ON DEVRAIT also means WE SHOULD	Ils – Elles devraient They should

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Je

Je dois manger.	I have to eat.
Je ne dois pas manger.	I must not eat.
Je devrais manger.	I should eat.
Je ne devrais pas manger.	I should not eat.

Tu

Tu dois voyager.	You have to travel.
Tu ne dois pas voyager.	You must not travel.
Tu devrais voyager.	You should travel.
Tu ne devrais pas voyager.	You should not travel.

Il / Elle / On

Il doit travailler.	He has to work.
Il ne doit pas travailler.	He must not work.
Il devrait travailler.	He should work.
Il ne devrait pas travailler.	He should not work.

Nous

Nous devons dormir.	We have to sleep.
Nous ne devons pas dormir.	We must not sleep.
Nous devrions dormir.	We should sleep.
Nous ne devrions pas dormir.	We should not sleep.

Vous

Vous devez choisir.	You have to choose.
Vous ne devez pas choisir.	You must not choose.
Vous devriez choisir.	You should choose.
Vous ne devriez pas choisir.	You should not choose.

Ils / Elles

Ils doivent gagner.	They have to win.
Ils ne doivent pas gagner.	They must not win.
Ils devraient gagner.	They should win.
Ils ne devraient pas gagner.	They should not win.

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French Verb Devoir Video Lesson