tu dois
The English phrase "you have to" is expressed in French as tu dois.
The phrase is used to express that something is necessary or required. In informal speech, you can also use t'as intérêt à to convey a stronger sense of obligation, meaning "you'd better," or the expression il faut que tu followed by a verb in the subjunctive form to emphasize necessity.
Which one should you use?
Use tu dois when speaking to a single person you know well. Switch to vous devez to be polite or when addressing a group of people.
How does it change in a sentence?
When using tu dois to express the necessity of performing an action, it is followed directly by the infinitive form of the second verb.
Did you know?
- While tu dois expresses obligation, the word dois comes from the verb devoir, which also means 'to owe' money. This creates a linguistic link between moral obligation and financial debt.
- The French word tu shares an ancient root with the German 'du' and the Russian ты. These words have maintained the same specific function of addressing a single person informally for thousands of years.
- The distinction between tu dois and vous devez is so culturally significant that using 'tu' with a stranger or a superior can be perceived as a deliberate insult or a sign of extreme familiarity.
Examples in context
- Tu dois aider !You have to help.This sentence is useful for demonstrating how to use tu dois to express necessity.Tatoeba #7482612 by Micsmithel, translation #2274024 by CK
- Tu dois la voir.You have to see it.Tatoeba #5800947 by Aiji, translation #3740704 by gin
- Tu dois voir ça.You have to see this.Tatoeba #11580395 by Aiji, translation #3342780 by CK
- Tu dois arriver à l'heure.You have to arrive on time.
- Il faut étudier pour réussir.You have to study to succeed.
- Tu dois nettoyer ta chambre.You have to clean your room.
- T'as intérêt à réviser si tu veux réussir.You'd better revise if you want to succeed.
- Il faut que tu me racontes tout.You have to tell me everything.
- 238 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Chloé and Nathan are discussing a task at work.
- ChloéTu dois finir ce rapport aujourd'hui.You have to finish this report today.
- NathanEst-ce que c'est urgent ?Is it urgent?
- ChloéOui, le client l'attend.Yes, the client is waiting for it.
- NathanD'accord, je m'en occupe.Okay, I'll take care of it.
Sources
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries tu, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
