devoir
/də.vwaʁ/
The English phrase 'must' is translated into French as devoir.
devoir is primarily used to express that one is required to do something, covering general requirements, duties or necessities. Beyond expressing obligation, it also means 'to owe', such as owing money or a debt. If you want to express being obliged or forced to do something in a more formal way, you can use the phrase Être obligé de. If you wish to give a strong recommendation without sounding too forceful, you might use il est préférable de instead. To express the act of making someone do something, the verb Obliger is used.
Meaning: be required to (verb)
Which one should you use?
While devoir expresses a strong necessity or obligation, it is often used more broadly than the English 'must' to cover general requirements or duties.
Related words
How does it change in a sentence?
devoir is a conjugated verb. In the present indicative, 'Je dois' means 'I must', 'Tu dois' means 'You must' (informal), 'Il/Elle/On doit' means 'He/She/One must', 'Nous devons' means 'We must', 'Vous devez' means 'You must' (formal/plural) and 'Ils/Elles doivent' means 'They must'. The third person singular form 'doit' translates to 'must' or 'has to', while the third person plural 'doivent' translates to 'must' or 'have to'. To express a continuous or repeated obligation in the past, use the imperfect form, such as 'je devais' (I used to have to / I was supposed to).
How do you pronounce it?
/də.vwaʁ/
Did you know?
- The word for 'homework' in French is devoirs, which is simply the plural form of the verb devoir used as a noun.
- When used in the conditional mood as devrais, the word shifts from a requirement to a polite suggestion, similar to the English word 'should'.
- In French, devoir can be used to express a strong probability, translating to 'must' in the sense of 'it must be raining' rather than a requirement.
Examples in context
- Tu dois faire ton devoir.You must perform your duty.This sentence is useful for practicing the verb devoir in the context of a duty.Tatoeba #563131 by sacredceltic, translation #16050 by Swift
- Je dois terminer mes devoirs.I must get my homework finished.This sentence is useful for practicing the verb devoir in the context of homework.Tatoeba #1082975 by sacredceltic, translation #266714 by CK
- Tu dois accomplir ton devoir.You must do your duty.Tatoeba #6467922 by lapinhibou, translation #20031 by CK
- Je dois terminer ce rapport aujourd'hui.I must finish this report today.
- Il est obligé de partir plus tôt aujourd'hui.He must leave earlier today.
- Il faut que tu fasses tes devoirs.You must do your homework.
- Tu dois absolument aller voir ce film.You must absolutely go see this movie.
- Il faut que j'y aille maintenant.I must go now.
- 20 more sentences on Tatoeba
Sources
- Wiktionary, “must” translations and entries devoir, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
