FrenchConjugationFutur

Devoir (must) · Futur

By TutorLily Editorial Team · Last updated May 22, 2026

Devoir in the French futur simple is: je devrai, tu devras, il/elle/on devra, nous devrons, vous devrez, ils/elles devront. The futur simple of devoir uses the irregular stem 'devr-'. 'Je devrai partir tôt' = 'I will have to leave early'. Same stem powers the conditionnel ('je devrais').

devoir conjugation in the Futur Simple
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

Examples

Devoir (must) in context

Sentences that use devoir in the futur. Tap each to hear it.

Demain je devrai me lever tôt.

Tomorrow I will have to get up early.

Tu devras me dire la vérité.

You will have to tell me the truth.

Elle devra prendre une décision bientôt.

She will have to make a decision soon.

Nous devrons nous dépêcher.

We will have to hurry.

Vous devrez signer les documents.

You will have to sign the documents.

Ils devront payer une amende.

They will have to pay a fine.

Tip

Working with the futur

The futur simple ("je parlerai") describes future actions, predictions, and conjecture about the present. In conversation it competes with the futur proche ("je vais parler" — going-to future), which is more common for near-term plans. Use the futur simple for distant or formal futures ("un jour, je voyagerai en Asie") and for conjecture ("il sera fatigué" = he must be tired). The futur stem is the full infinitive for regular verbs (parler-, finir-, vendr-), with a small set of irregular stems for high-frequency verbs: être → ser-, avoir → aur-, aller → ir-, faire → fer-, savoir → saur-, pouvoir → pourr-, vouloir → voudr-, venir → viendr-, devoir → devr-, voir → verr-.

Questions

Frequently asked questions

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.