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devoir

to have to/must

French Irregular
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The French verb "devoir" means "to have to/must" in English. It is an irregular verb. Below you'll find the complete conjugation tables for "devoir" across all 5 tenses.

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Present Past (completed) Past (ongoing) Future Would (conditional)

How to Conjugate "devoir" in the Present Tense

Présent de l'indicatif Actions happening now or regularly
Person English Conjugation
je I dois
tu you (informal) dois
il/elle/on he/she/one doit
nous we devons
vous you (formal/plural) devez
ils/elles they doivent
Il doit partir maintenant.
He must leave now.

How to Conjugate "devoir" in the Past (completed) Tense

Passé composé Actions completed in the past
Person English Conjugation
je I ai dû
tu you (informal) as dû
il/elle/on he/she/one a dû
nous we avons dû
vous you (formal/plural) avez dû
ils/elles they ont dû
Il a dû payer tout.
He had to pay everything.

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How to Conjugate "devoir" in the Past (ongoing) Tense

Imparfait Actions that were ongoing in the past
Person English Conjugation
je I devais
tu you (informal) devais
il/elle/on he/she/one devait
nous we devions
vous you (formal/plural) deviez
ils/elles they devaient
Il devait rentrer avant minuit.
He had to be back before midnight.

How to Conjugate "devoir" in the Future Tense

Futur simple Actions that will happen
Person English Conjugation
je I devrai
tu you (informal) devras
il/elle/on he/she/one devra
nous we devrons
vous you (formal/plural) devrez
ils/elles they devront
Il devra partir très tôt.
He will have to leave very early.

How to Conjugate "devoir" in the Would (conditional) Tense

Conditionnel présent Hypothetical actions
Person English Conjugation
je I devrais
tu you (informal) devrais
il/elle/on he/she/one devrait
nous we devrions
vous you (formal/plural) devriez
ils/elles they devraient
Il devrait manger des légumes.
He should eat vegetables.
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Frequently Asked Questions About "devoir"

Is "devoir" regular or irregular in French?
"Devoir" is an irregular French verb, meaning its conjugation does not follow standard patterns and must be memorized individually.
What does "devoir" mean in English?
The French verb "devoir" means "to have to/must" in English.
How do you conjugate "devoir" in the present tense?
In the present tense (Présent de l'indicatif): je → dois, tu → dois, il/elle/on → doit, nous → devons, vous → devez, ils/elles → doivent.
How many tenses does "devoir" have in French?
"Devoir" is conjugated across 5 tenses in French: Present, Past (completed), Past (ongoing), Future, Would (conditional).

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