vouloir
/vu.lwaʁ/
To want in French is vouloir.
vouloir is used to express a desire or will. If you need to express a necessity, use avoir besoin de instead of vouloir.
Meaning: to desire (verb)
Related words
How does it change in a sentence?
The verb vouloir changes according to the subject in the present tense: veux is used for the 1st and 2nd person singular, veut is used for the 3rd person singular, voulons is used for the 1st person plural, voulez is used for the 2nd person plural or polite form and veulent is used for the 3rd person plural.
How do you pronounce it?
/vu.lwaʁ/
Did you know?
- The phrase en vouloir à quelqu'un uses the verb for 'want' but actually means 'to be angry with someone' or 'to hold a grudge'.
- The phrase vouloir dire is used to mean 'to mean', but it literally translates to 'to want to say'.
- If you use je veux to order in a restaurant, you might sound demanding or even rude. It is much more polite to use the conditional form je voudrais to say 'I would like'.
Examples in context
- Vous allez vouloir voir ça.You're going to want to see this.This sentence shows how to use vouloir to express an intention to see something.Tatoeba #7414074 by lbdx, translation #2015298 by CK
- Qui dit vouloir, dit pouvoir.To want means to be able.This is a French proverb using vouloir to link desire with capability.Tatoeba #9436534 by Micsmithel, translation #2462452 by dimitris
- Es-tu sûr de vouloir y aller ?Are you sure that you want to go there?This sentence uses vouloir to ask about someone's desire to go somewhere.Tatoeba #1368784 by sacredceltic, translation #953131 by CK
- Je désire réserver une table pour deux personnesI would like to reserve a table for two
- J'aimerais commander le plat du jourI would like to order the dish of the day
- Je veux un caféI want a coffee
- J'ai envie de manger une glaceI feel like eating ice cream
- Ça me dit d'aller au cinéma ce soirI feel like going to the cinema tonight
- 216 more sentences on Tatoeba
Sources
- Wiktionary, “want” translations and entries vouloir, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
