FrenchConjugationAll tenses
Devoir (must) · All tenses
By TutorLily Editorial Team
Devoir is the modal 'must' or 'to have to' — also means 'to owe' as a transitive verb ('je te dois 20 euros'). The conditional 'tu devrais' (you should) is one of French's most-used softening structures. Irregular present (je dois), participle 'dû' (with circumflex on yo only), futur stem 'devr-'.
Conjugation
devoir · Présent
I must, I have to...
| To Have To | Devoir |
|---|---|
| I have to | je dois |
| you have to | tu dois |
| he/she has to | il/elle/on doit |
| we have to | nous devons |
| you have to | vous devez |
| they have to | ils/elles doivent |
Conjugation
devoir · Passé Composé
I had to, I must have...
| To Have To | Devoir |
|---|---|
| I had to | j'ai dû |
| you had to | tu as dû |
| he/she had to | il/elle/on a dû |
| we had to | nous avons dû |
| you had to | vous avez dû |
| they had to | ils/elles ont dû |
Conjugation
devoir · Imparfait
I had to, I used to have to...
| To Have To | Devoir |
|---|---|
| I used to have to | je devais |
| you used to have to | tu devais |
| he/she used to have to | il/elle/on devait |
| we used to have to | nous devions |
| you used to have to | vous deviez |
| they used to have to | ils/elles devaient |
Conjugation
devoir · Subjonctif Présent
(that) I must...
| To Have To | Devoir |
|---|---|
| I have to | je doive |
| you have to | tu doives |
| he/she have to | il/elle/on doive |
| we have to | nous devions |
| you have to | vous deviez |
| they have to | ils/elles doivent |
Conjugation
devoir · Futur Simple
I will have to...
| To Have To | Devoir |
|---|---|
| I will have to | je devrai |
| you will have to | tu devras |
| he/she will have to | il/elle/on devra |
| we will have to | nous devrons |
| you will have to | vous devrez |
| they will have to | ils/elles devront |
Conjugation
devoir · Conditionnel Présent
I should, I would have to...
| To Have To | Devoir |
|---|---|
| I would have to | je devrais |
| you would have to | tu devrais |
| he/she would have to | il/elle/on devrait |
| we would have to | nous devrions |
| you would have to | vous devriez |
| they would have to | ils/elles devraient |
Questions
Frequently asked questions
How do you conjugate devoir in the present tense?
Devoir in the present is: je dois, tu dois, il/elle/on doit, nous devons, vous devez, ils/elles doivent. Singular forms + ils use 'doi-/doiv-'; nous/vous use 'dev-'.
When does 'devoir' mean 'must' vs 'must be' (probability)?
Two main meanings: 1) Obligation — 'je dois partir' (I have to leave). 2) Probability/deduction — 'il doit être fatigué' (he must be tired = he's probably tired). The probability use is huge in French — Spanish often uses 'deber de + infinitive' or future tense for the same idea. Context disambiguates: 'tu dois travailler' (you have to work) vs 'tu dois être épuisé' (you must be exhausted).
What does 'devoir' mean as a transitive verb?
As a transitive verb (with a direct object), devoir means 'to owe': 'je te dois 20 euros' (I owe you 20 euros), 'on doit le respect à nos parents' (we owe respect to our parents). The same conjugation, but the meaning shifts from modal to transitive. The noun 'le devoir' (duty, homework — plural 'les devoirs' = homework) comes from this transitive sense.
How do you form the passé composé of devoir?
Use avoir + the past participle 'dû' (with circumflex): j'ai dû, tu as dû, il a dû, nous avons dû, vous avez dû, ils ont dû. The participle 'dû' only carries the circumflex in masculine singular; feminine 'due', plurals 'dus / dues' (no circumflex).
Why does 'dû' have a circumflex accent?
The circumflex on 'dû' (masculine singular only) distinguishes it from the article 'du' (= 'de + le' = 'some'). Without the accent, 'j'ai du temps' (I have some time) and 'j'ai dû partir' (I had to leave) would be visually identical. The circumflex is a diacritic accent purely for written clarity — pronounced identically.
Does 'j'ai dû partir' mean 'I had to' or 'I must have'?
Both meanings exist, disambiguated by context: 1) Obligation in the past — 'j'ai dû partir tôt' (I had to leave early). 2) Past probability/deduction — 'il a dû oublier' (he must have forgotten). The first is concrete obligation; the second is speculation about the past. The construction 'devoir + infinitive' carries both meanings in every tense.
How do you conjugate devoir in the imparfait?
Devoir is regular in the imparfait: je devais, tu devais, il/elle/on devait, nous devions, vous deviez, ils/elles devaient. Stem 'dev-' from nous form.
What does 'tu devais + infinitive' mean?
'Tu devais + infinitive' can mean 'you were supposed to + verb' — an unfulfilled past obligation or expectation: 'tu devais m'appeler' (you were supposed to call me — and didn't). It's gentler than the passé composé 'tu as dû m'appeler' (which is more about completed obligation or past probability). The imparfait of devoir is the standard French way to reference broken plans or expectations.
When do I use 'je devais' instead of 'j'ai dû'?
Use 'je devais' for habitual past obligation or expected plans: 'chaque matin, je devais partir à 7h' (every morning, I had to leave at 7). Use 'j'ai dû' for a specific one-time obligation: 'ce matin, j'ai dû partir à 7h' (this morning, I had to leave at 7). For unfulfilled past plans, the imparfait wins: 'tu devais venir, mais...' (you were supposed to come, but...).
How do you conjugate devoir in the subjonctif?
The subjonctif of devoir is: que je doive, que tu doives, qu'il doive, que nous devions, que vous deviez, qu'ils doivent. Singular + ils use 'doiv-'; nous/vous use 'dev-' (same as the imparfait).
When do I need to use the subjonctif of devoir?
Use it after triggers of doubt, contrast, or condition: 'bien que je doive' (although I must), 'avant que tu doives' (before you have to), 'je ne pense pas qu'il doive' (I don't think he has to). The subjonctif of devoir is less common than other subjonctifs because devoir is more often the trigger ('il faut que...' replaces 'je dois que...' in most idiomatic French).
Why is the subjonctif 'doive' and not 'dois' or 'devra'?
Subjonctif stems usually come from the 3rd-plural indicative (ils doivent → doiv-) for singular + ils, and from nous form (devons → dev-) for nous/vous. This split is standard for any -evoir verb. 'Doive' (subjonctif) and 'doive' (subjonctif) sound nearly identical to 'dois' (indicative) — context disambiguates.
How do you conjugate devoir in the futur?
The futur of devoir uses 'devr-': je devrai, tu devras, il/elle/on devra, nous devrons, vous devrez, ils/elles devront. The infinitive 'devoir' contracts to 'devr-' before the future endings.
Why is the futur stem 'devr-' instead of 'devoir-'?
Devoir's futur stem contracts by dropping the 'oi' from the infinitive — same family as recevoir → recevr-, apercevoir → apercevr-. The pattern is shared by all -evoir verbs in French.
When do I use 'je devrai' instead of 'je vais devoir'?
Both express future obligation. 'Je devrai' (futur simple) feels slightly more formal, more committed, or further in time. 'Je vais devoir' (futur proche) is more conversational for near-term obligations.
How do you conjugate devoir in the conditionnel?
The conditionnel of devoir is: je devrais, tu devrais, il/elle/on devrait, nous devrions, vous devriez, ils/elles devraient. Same stem 'devr-' as the futur, plus imperfect endings.
Why is 'tu devrais' the standard 'you should'?
'Tu devrais + infinitive' = 'you should + verb' — the universal French structure for advice or recommendation: 'tu devrais te reposer' (you should rest), 'vous devriez essayer' (you should try). Equivalent to English 'should' or 'ought to'. The conditional 'devrais' softens the obligation from 'must' (dois) to 'should' (devrais).
What does 'tu aurais dû + infinitive' mean?
'Tu aurais dû + infinitive' = 'you should have + past participle' — the past conditional of devoir. 'Tu aurais dû me le dire' (you should have told me), 'nous aurions dû partir plus tôt' (we should have left earlier). It expresses regret, criticism, or hindsight about past events. The structure: conditionnel of avoir + dû + infinitive.
Practice Devoir (Must) in real conversations
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