Level A2-B1 (Upper Beginner – Lower Intermediate)
Updated December 16, 2025 — Lesson written by French teacher David Issokson for students who want to learn French online, with native audio by Marie Assel Cambier, a voice artist from France.
The French Word of the Day is il faut, meaning “it’s necessary.” This indispensable little expression shows up everywhere in French. For example, il faut apprendre ce mot (you have to learn this word). Listen to Marie’s excellent native audio examples, and il faut will definitely click by the end of the lesson.
✅ Meaning
✅ Pronunciation
✅ Example sentences
✅ Related Words & Expressions
✅ Related lessons
📘 Il faut meaning
In French, il faut is an impersonal expression meaning “it’s necessary” or “one must” or “you have to”. The il translates to “it” but doesn’t refer to anything specific. Faut is the third-person singular form of the verb falloir, meaning “to be necessary.” Il faut expresses obligation, necessity, or advice, and can be followed by an infinitive, a noun, or que + subjunctive. Quick examples:
➜ Il faut partir. You have to leave.
➜ Il faut du temps. It takes time.
➜ Il faut que tu viennes. You have to come.
🎧 Il faut pronunciation
Il faut is pronounced /il fo/ and sounds like “eel foh.”
📝 French and English examples
Il faut + infinitive is used to express a general obligation or necessity without addressing anyone in particular.
1. Il faut + infinitive
Il faut travailler pour réussir dans la vie!
You have to work to succeed in life.
2. Il faut que + subjunctive
Il faut que is an impersonal expression that requires the subjunctive mood. It’s usually translated as “one must”, “it’s necessary to”, “or you have to.”
Il faut que tu fasses attention.
You need to pay attention.
3. Il faut quelque chose à quelqu’un
The structure il faut quelque chose à quelqu’un is very similar to avoir besoin de, which means “to need.”
Il me faut une fourchette pour manger le steak.
I need a fork to eat the steak.
In French, the subjunctive mood is used to express wishes, emotions and doubts. It’s essential for everyday expression and must be mastered.
👉 Discover the French subjunctive mood »
Il faut in different tenses
In addition to these three uses, il faut can also appear in tenses other than the present.
Future tense
In the futur simple, il faut becomes il faudra (it will be necessary).
Il faudra que tu travailles demain.
You’ll have to work tomorrow.
Near future tense
The futur proche (near future) is formed with “aller + infinitive.” For il faut, the infinitive is falloir, which means “to be necessary.”
Il va falloir que tu fasses quelque chose.
You’re doing to have to do something.
Passé composé
In the passé composé, il faut becomes il a fallu, which translates as “it was necessary to.”
Il a fallu acheter la voiture.
It was necessary to buy the car.
Imperfect
Il faut can also be used in the imperfect tense, where it appears as il fallait (it was necessary).
Il fallait dire queque chose.
It was necessary to say something. (or implied in context: ‘You should have said something.’)
Past conditional
In the past conditional, il faut becomes il aurait fallu, which literally translates as “it would have been necessary”. In practice, this often conveys the idea of “should have”.
Il aurait fallu acheter la maison l’année dernière.
We should have bought the house last year.
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🔗 Related words & Expressions
- il faut — it is necessary
- devoir — to have to
- avoir besoin de — to need
- il faudrait — one should
- il ne faut pas — one must not
- l’obligation (f.) — obligation
- la nécessité — necessity
- comme il faut — properly
📚 Related lessons on FrenchLearner!
👉 À la rigueur — if necessary »
👉 10 French subjunctive examples »
👉 Falloir Conjugation Chart – to be necessary »
👉 Avoir beosin — to need »
🚀 Continue learning French online on FrenchLearner!
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Il faut — Frequently asked questions (FAQ)
What is the basic meaning of the French expression il faut?
The expression il faut is an impersonal French phrase that translates generally to “it’s necessary,” “one must,” or “you have to.” The il does not refer to a specific person or thing but acts as a subject placeholder.
How do you form a sentence using il faut to express a general obligation?
To express a general, non-specific obligation, you use il faut followed by an infinitive verb. For example: Il faut travailler pour réussir (You have to work to succeed).
When does il faut require the use of the French subjunctive mood?
The expression il faut requires the subjunctive mood when it is followed by que. The full structure is Il faut que + a different subject + verb in the subjunctive mood. For example: Il faut que tu viennes (You have to come).
How does the meaning of il faut change in tenses like the passé composé and the past conditional?
In the passé composé, il faut becomes il a fallu (it was necessary to). In the past conditional, it becomes il aurait fallu (it would have been necessary), which is often used to convey the idea of “should have.”
