In this French grammar lesson we will learn about devoir conjugation in the present tense.
Devoir means “to have to/must” and is an irregular verb, and one of the most important verbs in the French language. Therefore it warrants its own lesson.
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 devoir conjugation Anki files can be downloaded.
Please refer to the French A1 Curriculum to get a better overview of French grammar if you are curious about how devoir fits in French A1 grammar.
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 is a verb that has many usages in the French language and is one of the most imporant verbs, however in this lesson we are just looking at the Present Tense.
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 probably 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 than in French 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 we want to pronounce a devoir conjugation in French.
- The je, tu, and il/elle/on form all have the same pronunciation. The s, s, and t are not pronounced.
Je dois
Tu dois
Il doit
All these VERBS have the same exact pronunciation
- In the ils/elles form the ent is not pronounced, however the v is pronounced
Ils doivent
The last letter that you would hear would be the “v“
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.
Tu dois tenir tes promesses.
You have to keep your promises.
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.
Anki File for Devoir Conjugation in the Present Tense
It is important to do the Anki excercises for this lesson, so that you can better remember what you just studied.
By downloading the Anki File for French A1, you can practice every French A1 lesson that is on Language Atlas.
You can also choose to just get the Anki File for French A1 Verbs. This only has the verbs for French A1.
If you don’t know why you should use Anki, or if you don’t know what Anki is, then please click here.
Anki can be downloaded from here.
