Je dois
In French, 'I have to' is expressed as Je dois.
Je dois is used to express a necessity or an obligation to perform a certain action. It is a common and neutral way to convey this meaning.
Which one should you use?
While Je dois is a neutral standard, you can use J'ai l'obligation de to emphasize a sense of obligation or Il faut que je to convey a stronger sense of necessity, such as 'I must' or 'I need to'. In casual speech, the latter is often shortened to Faut que je.
How does it change in a sentence?
Je dois is the first-person singular present indicative of the verb devoir. When using Je dois, the verb that follows it is always in the infinitive form.
Did you know?
- In French, if you say Je dois un café à Pierre, it doesn't mean you have to buy him a coffee, but that you actually owe him the money for one.
- In very formal or legal contexts, Je dois can be replaced by Il m'appartient de, which literally translates to 'it belongs to me to'.
- The verb devoir is a cognate of the English word 'debt', as both stem from the Latin 'debere'.
Examples in context
- Je dois y être.I have to be there.This sentence is useful for expressing the necessity of being in a certain place.Tatoeba #7774674 by Aiji, translation #4135176 by CK
- Je dois y aller.I have to leave now.This sentence is useful for expressing the necessity of leaving.Tatoeba #952757 by sacredceltic, translation #31380 by CK
- Je dois me saper.I have to dress up.This sentence is useful for expressing the necessity of dressing up.Tatoeba #977502 by sacredceltic, translation #271639 by CK
- Je dois lui téléphoner plus tard.I have to call him/her later.
- J'ai l'obligation de compléter cette tâche avant demain.I have to complete this task by tomorrow.
- J'ai l'obligation de respecter les règles.I have to follow the rules.
- Il faut que je termine ce travail rapidement.I have to finish this work quickly.
- Il faut que je m'occupe de mes enfants ce soir.I have to take care of my children tonight.
- Faut que je fasse mes devoirs ce soir.I have to do my homework tonight.
- Faut que je te parle de quelque chose d'important.I have to talk to you about something important.
- Je dois absolument finir ce rapport avant demain.I absolutely have to finish this report by tomorrow.
- Il faut que je parle à mon professeur tout de suite.I need to talk to my professor right away.
- Faut que je te dise quelque chose d'important.I have to tell you something important.
- 652 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Gabriel and Manon are talking on the phone in the evening.
- GabrielJe dois partir maintenant.I have to leave now.
- ManonPourquoi ? Tu es fatigué ?Why? Are you tired?
- GabrielOui, je dois me reposer.Yes, I have to rest.
- ManonD'accord, bonne nuit, Gabriel.Okay, good night, Gabriel.
Sources
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
