Modal verbs in French

Vouloir

Pouvoir

Devoir

Preamble:
Defining modal verbs: A modal verb is a verb that qualifies an action with
regard to its desirability, its necessity, its possibility or its futurity.
While this is a clear and concise definition, it is an unsatisfactory definition which
does not even fully account for all modal verbs in English. As far as French
linguistics are concerned, it is often said that French does not have modal verbs.
Whether or not this is the case is a matter of theory, not scientific fact, and will
always be a good subject for academic argument among linguists; but for the
purposes of this grammar, we will consider that French does have modal verbs.
Comparing modal verbs in English and French
French has less modal verbs than English.
While English has will, shall, may, might, must, ought to, have to, can and be able
to,
French just has three modal verbs: vouloir, pouvoir, devoir
to which can be added certain uses of savoir.
However these verbs have tenses which can modify their modality.
French does not use modal verbs to denote futurity, as this is done by means of the
future tense and other mechanisms.

1. Vouloir
Vouloir is a verb expressing wish, desire or intention.
Here are its main usages:
In the present tense it implies a definite wish (Examples 1 & 2)
In the present perfect it can imply an unfulfilled/ wrongly fulfilled wish,
(Examples 3 & 4) or a fulfilled wish (Example 5)
In the conditional it implies a hope or a potential wish. (Examples 6 - 8)
Click here For a full verb table of vouloir (coming)
Present tense:
Singular: Je veux, tu veux, il/elle... veut
Plural: Nous voulons, vous voulez, ils veulent

Examples:
1. Je veux partir maintenant.
I want to leave now
2. Le capitaine veut savoir s'il y a un mdecin bord
The captain wants to know if there's a doctor on board.
3. J'ai voulu ouvrir la bote, mais je l'ai casse.
I wanted to open the box, but I broke it .
4. Il semble qu'il a voulu sortir par la chemine.
It looks as if he wanted to (was trying to) get out through the chimney.
5. J'ai voulu te faire une surprise !!.
I wanted it to be a surprise for you !!.
6. Nous voudrions partir avant minuit.
We'd like to leave before midnight. 7. Il voudrait savoir qui vous tes.
He'd like to know who you are.
8. Je pensais que vous voudriez aller au concert ce soir
I thought you'd want to go to the concert this evening.
Other tenses: Future: je voudrai Simple past: je voulus Pass compos:
j'ai voulu
Imperfect: je voulais conditional: je voudrais present subjunctive: je
veule

2. Pouvoir
Pouvoir expresses ability, corresponding to the English can or be able to.
Here are its most common usages.
In the present tense it implies a definite or potential ability (Examples 1 & 2)
In the present perfect it normally implies a successfully accomplished action,
and has the sense of the English "managed to" (Examples 3 & 4)
In the imperfect it usually implies past ability (Examples 5 & 6)
!! Take care with the distinction in usage between the perfect and imperfect tenses
of pouvoir
In the conditional it implies potential future possibility. (Examples 7 & 8)
In the future perfect, it expresses past action that may have occurred or has
probably occurred (Examples 9 & 10)
In the past conditional, it expresses unfulfilled hypothetical possibility
(Examples 11 & 12)
Reflexive use of pouvoir :

 The English modal verb may is often expressed using the French expression
Il se peut que ..... followed by a subjunctive. (Examples 13 & 14)
Click here For a full verb table of pouvoir (coming)
Present tense:
Singular: Je peux or je puis, tu peux, il/elle... peut
Plural: Nous pouvons, vous pouvez, ils peuvent
Examples:
1. Tu ne peux pas fumer ici.
You can't smoke here
Nous pouvons aller au concert ce soir.
We can go to the concert this evening.
3. J'ai pu (=success) ouvrir la bote, mais je l'ai casse.
I was able to open the box , but I broke it .
4. Il semble qu'il a pu sortir par la chemine.
It looks as if he was able to get out through the chimney.
5. Dans ma jeunesse je pouvais (= ability) porter 50 kg. !!.
In my youth I could carry 50 kilograms !!.
6. Les policiers ne pouvaient pas faire comme ils voulaient
The policement were not able to do as they pleased.
7. Il pourrait parler anglais s'il faisait un effort.
He could speak English if he tried.
8. Nous pourrions aller au concert ce soir
We could to go to the concert this evening.
9. Il aura pu se mettre l'abri quelque part.
He may have found shelter somewhere.
10. Il aura pu se mettre l'abri quelque part. (second meaning)
He will have been able to find shelter somewhere.
11. Il aurait pu tre bloqu par la grve l'aeroport.
H could have been blocked by the strike at the airport.
12. Vous auriez pu vous tuer !!
You could have killed yourselves !!
13. Il se peut qu'ils soient bloqus par la grve l'aeroport.
They may be blocked by the strike at the airport.
14. Il se peut qu'on aille au concert ce soir.
We may go to the concert this evening.
Sometimes French uses savoir instead of pouvoir to express acquired ability
Example:
1. Mon frre sait parler quatre langues.
My brother can speak four languages

Other tenses: Future: je pourrai Simple past: je pus Pass compos: j'ai
pu
Imperfect: je pouvais conditional: je pourrais present subjunctive: je
puisse.
3. Devoir

Devoir expresses obligation, corresponding to the English must, have to, should or
ought to. The specific meaning is specified by a combination of tense and context.
In the present tense, devoir corresponds to the English must / have to in most
of their meanings; both formal obligation (e.g. You must stop that) and probablilty
(It must be ten midnight by now). See examples 1 & 2 below
The most confusing points about uses of devoir concern past tenses.
The perfect or composite past of devoir ( e.g. il a d) has two quite
different meanings, corresponding either to had to or to must have. See examples
3 & 4 below. Logic and context will usually remove any possible ambiguity; for
instance, it is very unlikely that Hier j'ai d acheter un parapluie would mean
Yesterday I must have bought an umbrella - unless the speaker is amnesic.
The imperfect tense of devoir (e.g. il devait) has three possible meanings; it
can be used in the sense of had to, or less commonly in the sense of must have.
Occasionally it used as a shorter alternative to the past conditional in the sense of
ought to have See examples 5 & 6 below
Used in conditional tenses, devoir implies recommendation or partial obligation,
and has the meaning of should / ought to. See examples 7 & 8 below.
Spelling point: the past participle masculine (the normal form) of devoir is spelt
d, with a circumflex accent. The feminine form (when needed) is spelt with no
circumflex, e.g. due.
Click here For a full verb table of devoir (coming)
Present tense:
Singular: Je dois, tu dois, il/elle... doit
Plural: Nous devons, vous devez, ils doivent
Examples:
1. Vous devez arrter le moteur maintenant.
You must stop the engine now.
2. Il fait nuit noire! Il doit tre au moins minuit.
It's pitch dark; it must be at least midnight by now.

3. Il n'y a aucun bruit, il a d arrter le moteur maintenant .

or: .... il doit avoir arrt le moteur maintenant
There's no noise; he must have stopped the engine now.
4. Il y avait une fuite d'huile, donc il a d arrter le moteur.
There was an oil leak, so he had to stop the engine.
5. Nous devions tre Paris pour une runion samedi dernier.
We had to be in Paris for a meeting last Saturday. or
We must have been in Paris for a meeting last Saturday,
6. Nous devions tre Paris pour une runion , mais nous n'y tions pas.
or: .... Nous aurions d tre Paris ......
We should have been in Paris for a meeting , but we weren't
7. Si vous avez tout bien appris, vous ne devriez pas avoir de problme.
If you've learned it all well, you shouldn't have any problem.
8. Nous aurions d prendre un parapluie.
We ought to have brought an umbrella.
Reminder: Context and logic are normally sufficient to clarify which of different
meanings of devoir is implied, when more than one interpretation is possible .

Other tenses: Future: je devrai Simple past: je dus Pass compos: j'ai d
Imperfect: je devais conditional: je devrais present subjunctive: je
doive.