38 - How to Conjugate French Verb "Devoir" (to Have To) [Present Tense]

 
 

Know how to use the French verb “devoir” (to have to)? Listen to this lesson to find out! 🤓 I’ll share pronunciation tips and examples too.

If you’d prefer to listen on the go, listen to the episode on Apple Podcasts or Spotify.

Links & Cheat Sheet

Transcript

Intro: Welcome to the French Made Easy podcast, where I give you all the basics you need to speak French clearly and confidently. I'm your host, Mathilde, and I'm a French teacher, mumpreneur, and bread and cheese lover. Join me as I dive into all things French for beginners, and deliver to you bite-sized and easy-to-follow lessons every Tuesday. Let's get started, "on commence"!

Bonjour à tous! Hi everyone! Welcome back to the French Made Easy Podcast! Thanks for joining me here! This is episode number 38, numero 38! In this episode, we're doing a bit of conjugation! You'll learn how to use the French verb "devoir" (which means "to have to, or must") in the present tense! I'll first share the conjugation of the verb; then, I'll give you some examples. 

Make sure you download your lesson's cheat sheet; it's free. 

After the lesson, it's time to practice! Head over to the French Made Easy Library, where you can download your lesson's exercises. 

Vous êtes prêts? Are you guys ready? On y va. 

Alright, so "devoir" is an irregular verb, and as per many French irregular verbs, it can be a bit confusing for beginners because there's no regular pattern. And I know I say that for each conjugation lesson, but please learn this verb by heart. 

Alright, so, let's dive into the conjugation of the verb "devoir." (must, to have to)

👉 Conjugation of French Verb “Devoir”

Répétez après moi (repeat after me)

  • je dois (I have to)

  • tu dois (you have to - singular informal)

  • il doit (he has to)

  • elle doit (she has to)

  • on doit (we have to - informal)

  • nous devons (we have to - formal)

  • vous devez (you have to - plural or sing. formal)

  • ils doivent (they have to - masculine)

  • elles doivent (they have to - feminine)

A bit of pronunciation: If you look at the cheat sheet or the transcript, the letters that I've underlined here are silent. 

So you should not pronounce the "s," don't pronounce the "t," and don't pronounce the "ent."

👉 Examples

Ok super. Now let's see some examples of the French verb "devoir" conjugated in the present tense.

  • Je dois travailler. (I have to work.)

  • Tu dois faire la vaisselle. (You have to do the dishes.)

  • Il doit étudier pour son examen. (He has to study for his exam.)

  • Elle doit étudier pour son examen. (She has to study for her exam.)

  • On doit partir bientôt. (We have to leave soon.)

  • Nous devons manger plus sainement. (We have to eat healthier.)

  • Vous devez aller chez le médecin. (You have to go to the doctor.)

  • Ils doivent faire les courses. (They have to do the grocery shopping.)

  • Elles doivent faire les courses. (They have to do the grocery shopping.)

Ok, super! That's it for the examples! 

👉 Recap

Now let's recap what we've learned:

The conjugation of "devoir" in the present tense is:

  • je dois

  • tu dois

  • il doit

  • elle doit

  • on doit

  • nous devons

  • vous devez

  • ils doivent

  • elles doivent

Alright, well done! On a fini la leçon d'aujourd'hui! We've finished today's lesson. If you've liked this episode, let me know and leave me a review on Apple Podcast. Now don't forget to download your lesson's exercises. It's free.

Thanks for your time. I'll talk to you next week.

Merci beaucoup et à bientôt. 💗

 
Mathilde KienComment