In this French grammar lesson, you will learn about devoir conjugation in the present tense.
In this lesson you will learn about:
- how devoir is conjugated in French
- how devoir is used in French
- how devoir is pronounced in French
- how devoir is used in sentences in French
- how you can quiz yourself on devoir conjugation in the present tense
- how to practice with flashcards on devoir conjugation in the present tense
- how and why you should use the courses of Language Atlas to learn French
Please refer to the French A1 Curriculum to get a better overview of French grammar, if you are curious about this fits in French A1.
By the end of the lesson you will know all about devoir conjugation in the present tense!
Table of Contents
Devoir Conjugation in the Present Tense
| je | dois |
| tu | dois |
| il/elle/on | doit |
| nous | devons |
| vous | devez |
| ils/elles | doivent |
Usage of Devoir
This section on devoir conjugation will show you how devoir is used in French.
Devoir means “to have to/must” and is an irregular verb.
Devoir in the present tense is a verb that has 3 meanings.
- Devoir can be used as an obligation
Je dois étudier.
I have to study
In this sentence the verb devoir is used as an obligation. You must do something. In this case what is the obligation is to study.
The intonation here is going to remain even throughout the sentence.
- Devoir can be used as a probability
Il doit être au magasin
He must be at the store
Please note that inotation here is very important. When it is used as a probability the inflection at the end of the sentence will go up.
- Devoir can be used a debt
Emmanuel me doit 50 euro
Emmanuel owes me 50 euros
The intonation will remain even here througout the sentence.
Please note that if two verbs are placed next to each other, the first will be conjugated, and the second will be the full verb (infinitive).
Pronunciation of Devoir Conjugations
In this section on devoir conjugation in the present tense we will focus on pronunciation.
There are 2 important rules to take into account when you want to pronounce a devoir conjugation in French.
- The je, tu, and il/elle/on verb forms all have the same pronunciation. The -s and –t endings are not pronounced. It is just the “doi” part that gets pronounced.
Je dois
Tu dois
Il doit
These verbs are pronounced in the same exact way.
You don’t pronounce the letters in red.
- In the ils/elles verb form, you don’t pronounce the -ent ending. It is just the “doiv” part that gets pronounced.
Ils doivent
The last letter that you would hear would be the “v“.
You don’t pronounce the letters in red.
Example Sentences with Devoir Conjugations
The final section of this lesson on devoir conjugation in the present tense is about seeing avoir in action.
This is valuable because you can improve your understanding of devoir conjugation in the present tense through examples.
Je dois partir tôt demain.
I must leave early tomorrow.
Je dois faire mes devoirs.
I must do my homework.
Tu dois tenir tes promesses.
You have to keep your promises.
Il doit économiser de l’argent.
He must save money.
On doit porter une cravate ici.
We have to wear a tie here
Nous devons être sérieuses.
We have to be serious.
Vous devez être patient.
You have to be patient
Elles doivent réparer leur voiture.
They have to repair their car.
Quiz Yourself on Devoir Conjugation in the Present Tense
At the end of every lesson you can do a small quiz.
You will see the sentences of the previous chapter.
You will either need to fill in the blanks, choose the correct multiple choice option, or both.
Once you are done the correct answer will be shown.
You can redo the quiz as many times as you want.
How to Practice With Flashcards for This Lesson
Using flashcards is an absolute necessity when it comes to learning a language!
It is the best way to memorize what you learn, you can personalize your progression because it adapts to your actions, and all flashcards have audio to improve your hearing and pronunciation.
Please read our article on how to learn a new language for more information on flashcards and the best way to learn a new language.
There are two ways to practice with Flashcards for this lesson.
- Anki
- The Flashcards in our Courses
Anki is a free software with which you can create and practice flashcards.
After you have downloaded Anki for free, you can get our French A1 Anki Deck.
This Anki Deck contains 3,764 flashcards with which you can practice absolutely everything for French A1.
All the flashcards have text, images, explanations, and audio.
You can also use our courses that have flashcards integrated alongside lessons with audio, quizzes and much more!
However, I am sure you are wondering, what are your courses, and why should I take them?
The Courses of Language Atlas
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