dû
/dy/
The English word 'due' is translated into French as dû.
If you mean something is 'to be paid', use à payer. If a project is 'due' (to be submitted), use à rendre. For money that is 'to be reimbursed' or 'to be repaid', use à rembourser and for something that is 'to be delivered', use à livrer. Additionally, dû can function as an adverb with compass directions to mean 'directly' or 'exactly'.
Meaning: used with compass directions: directly or exactly (adv)
How does it change in a sentence?
In French, the circumflex accent is strictly required on the masculine singular form dû to distinguish it from the word du, which means 'of the'. While the masculine singular form is dû, the form loses its circumflex accent in the feminine form due or when used as an adjective in certain contexts.
How do you pronounce it?
/dy/
What mistakes should you avoid?
English speakers often forget the circumflex on dû, which can lead to confusion with the common contraction du (of the).
Did you know?
- The word dû shares a common ancestor with the English word 'debt'. Although they look different, both trace back to the Latin 'debitum', meaning something that is owed.
- While dû is the masculine form, the circumflex vanishes entirely in the feminine form due. This is a rare case where a spelling marker used for clarity disappears simply because the gender of the noun changed.
Examples in context
- Le loyer est dû pour demain.The rent is due tomorrow.This sentence shows how to use dû regarding a payment deadline.Tatoeba #572751 by sacredceltic, translation #24049 by CK
- Cet échec est dû à votre erreur.This failure is due to your mistake.This sentence demonstrates how dû is used to express a cause.Tatoeba #11691519 by lbdx, translation #58811 by CK
- Cet accident a été dû à sa négligence.That accident was due to his carelessness.This sentence shows how dû can be used to explain the cause of an accident.Tatoeba #1101945 by sacredceltic, translation #485791 by minshirui
- Le règlement est à payer lundi.The payment is due on Monday.
- Ton livre est à rendre demain.Your book is due tomorrow.
- 21 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Léa and Nathan are looking at a map to find a building.
- LéaLe bâtiment se trouve plein dû nord.The building is located directly north.
- NathanEst-ce qu'il est loin d'ici ?Is it far from here?
- LéaNon, c'est juste devant nous.No, it is right in front of us.
- NathanD'accord, marchons donc dû nord.Okay, let's walk directly north then.
Sources
- Pronunciation: Wiktionary entry dû, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries dû, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
