Level: A1 (Beginner)
🎧 Audio by Marie Assel Cambier, a native speaker & professional voice artist from France
The French Word of the Day is devoir, meaning “must” and “to have to.” This is a highly versatile verb you can use in all sorts of contexts related to obligation. In this lesson, I’ll explain 7 key usages.
✅ Meaning
✅ Pronunciation
✅ Example sentences
✅ Related Words & Expressions
✅ Related lessons
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📘 Devoir meaning
Devoir is a common French irregular verb that means must, to have to, or to owe. It’s used to talk about obligation, duty, probability, and owing money.
🎧 Devoir pronunciation
The pronunciation of devoir is /də.vwaʁ/, which sounds like duh-vwar.
📝 French and English examples
Devoir – must, to have to
1. Obligation / necessity
Je dois partir à huit heures demain.
I have to leave at eight o’clock tomorrow.
2. Expectation / probability
L’avion doit arriver dans deux heures.
The plane should arrive in two hours.
3. Rules / expectations
Les enfants doivent être à l’école à 8h30.
The children have to be at school at 8:30.
4. Owing something (money, help, etc.)
Tu me dois 80 euros.
You owe me 80 euros.
5. Should — conditional of devoir
Tu devrais apprendre tous les verbes irréguliers.
You should learn all the irregular verbs.
6. Should have — past conditional
Tu aurais dû me téléphoner avant !
You should have called me earlier!
7. Les devoirs = homework
Elle a déjà fini tous ses devoirs.
She already finished all her homework.
👉 These lessons explain j’aurais dû (I should have) and je devrais (I should) in detail.
💡 Devoir vs il faut – Are they synonyms?
Over the years, many students have asked me whether devoir and il faut (it’s necessary, one must) are synonyms. The short answer: yes — you can usually use them interchangeably to express obligation.
The key difference lies in structure and tone:
Devoir is conjugated and feels more direct or personal (je dois, elle doit, nous devons, etc.)
Il faut is impersonal, stays the same for all subjects, and can sound slightly more formal or neutral.
✅ Je dois manger. I must / I have to eat.
✅ Il faut que je mange. I must / I have to eat.
👉 This lesson explains il faut in detail.
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📊 Devoir conjugation
Here’s the basic devoir conjugation in the present tense. See my pronunciation notes below.
- Je dois — I must / I have to
- Tu dois — You must / You have to (informal)
- Il / Elle doit — He / She must / has to
- Nous devons — We must / We have to
- Vous devez — You must / You have to (formal/plural)
- Ils / Elles doivent — They must / They have to
👉 See also: devoir conjugation in French (updated with audio)
🔗 Related words and expressions
- un devoir — duty, obligation, homework assignment
- les devoirs — homework
- devoir son salut à — owe your salvation to
- devoir une fière chandelle à — be deeply indebted
- il faut — one must / it’s necessary to
- avoir besoin de — to need to
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