A comprehensive guide to the French modal auxiliary verbs vouloir, pouvoir, and devoir — their meanings, usage, and examples.
French modal auxiliary verbs vouloir (to want), pouvoir (to be able to / can), and devoir (to have to / must) help express desires, abilities, permissions, and obligations. These three verbs are irregular but follow regular patterns once conjugated. They are used before an infinitive to form a complete meaning in contexts like:
- Vouloir + infinitive → to want to do something
- Pouvoir + infinitive → to be able / allowed to do something
- Devoir + infinitive → to have to / must do something
. Meanings and Functions
The three modal auxiliaries express different kinds of necessity, permission, or desire.
| Verb | Meaning | Function | Example |
|---|---|---|---|
| vouloir | to want | expresses desire or intention | Je veux manger. (I want to eat.) |
| pouvoir | can / be able to | expresses ability or permission | Je peux sortir. (I can go out.) |
| devoir | must / have to | expresses obligation or necessity | Je dois partir. (I must leave.) |
- Vouloir expresses wishes or intentions.
- Pouvoir expresses possibility, ability, or permission.
- Devoir expresses duty, obligation, or a strong recommendation.
What is the general function of the French modal verb 'pouvoir'?
expresses ability or permission
'Pouvoir' indicates that someone can do something or has permission to do it (e.g., 'Je peux sortir' - I can go out).
. Simple Present Tense Conjugations
Here are the pronouns and their corresponding forms for each verb in present tense. This is the most common form for expressing routine or near-future intentions.
| French Pronoun | Vouloir (to want) | Pouvoir (to be able) | Devoir (to have to) | Example: Je … + infinitive |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| je | veux | peux | dois | Je veux manger. (I want to eat.) |
| tu | veux | peux | dois | Tu peux sortir. (You can go out.) |
| il/elle/on | veut | peut | doit | Il doit partir. (He must leave.) |
| nous | voulons | pouvons | devons | Nous devons étudier. (We must study.) |
| vous | voulez | pouvez | devez | Vous pouvez venir. (You can come.) |
| ils/elles | veulent | peuvent | doivent | Elles veulent voyager. (They want to travel.) |
- Vouloir and pouvoir share a similar irregular pattern (stem changes to veu- or peu- in 1st, 2nd, 3rd singular).
- Devoir uses the stem do- across all forms.
Ellos ___ (devoir) partir. (ils/elles, devoir)
Select the correct present tense form of 'devoir' for 'ils/elles'.
doivent
'doivent' is the 3rd person plural form (Ils doivent partir).
. Using Modal Auxiliaries with Infinitives
French modal auxiliaries are always followed by a verb in the infinitive form. The auxiliary gives the modal meaning, and the infinitive gives the action.
| Modal Auxiliary + Infinitive | English Translation | Example Sentence | English Example |
|---|---|---|---|
| vouloir + partir | want to leave | Je veux partir. | I want to leave. |
| pouvoir + sortir | can go out | Tu peux sortir. | You can go out. |
| devoir + étudier | must study | Nous devons étudier. | We must study. |
| vouloir + voyager | want to travel | Elles veulent voyager. | They want to travel. |
| pouvoir + aider | can help | Je peux aider. | I can help. |
| devoir + finir | have to finish | Vous devez finir. | You have to finish. |
- The second verb never changes form; it stays infinitive.
- This construction can express simple future intentions or immediate decisions.
. Special Meanings and Usage Notes
a. Politeness — vouloir bien
Adding bien after vouloir makes a request more polite.
| French | English |
|---|---|
| Veux-tu bien fermer la porte ? | Would you please close the door? |
| Voulez-vous bien attendre ici ? | Would you kindly wait here? |
- vouloir bien = "Would you be so kind as to..."
b. Negative Forms
Place ne… pas around the conjugated modal auxiliary.
| French | English |
|---|---|
| Je ne veux pas sortir. | I don’t want to go out. |
| Tu ne peux pas venir. | You can’t come. |
| Nous ne devons pas parler. | We must not speak. |
- The infinitive remains unchanged.
c. Expressing Probability or Assumption — devoir + infinitive
Sometimes devoir alone (without "avoir" or "être") expresses a logical assumption about the present.
| French | English |
|---|---|
| Il doit être à la maison. | He must be at home. |
| Elle doit avoir fini. | She must have finished. |
This meaning of devoir implies a strong guess or logical conclusion.
d. Past Meanings in Passé Composé
When a modal is followed by an infinitive in the past, the past participle accords with the auxiliary verb of the modal.
| Example | English | Explanation |
|---|---|---|
| J’ai voulu partir. | I wanted to leave. | vouloir in passé composé |
| Il a pu finir. | He was able to finish. | pouvoir in passé composé |
| Nous avons dû partir tôt. | We had to leave early. | devoir in passé composé |
If using a past infinitive (after another past verb), it looks like:
- Je suis désolé d’avoir dû partir. (I’m sorry to have had to leave.)
Summary
- vouloir = to want; expresses desire (Je veux partir).
- pouvoir = can / to be able; expresses ability or permission (Tu peux venir).
- devoir = must / have to; expresses obligation or assumption (Nous devons étudier / Il doit être là).
- All three are conjugated in the present, then followed by an infinitive to complete the idea.
- Use vouloir bien for polite requests.
- Negate by surrounding the modal auxiliary with ne… pas.
- In the past, use passé composé on the modal (J’ai voulu, Il a pu, Nous avons dû).
Mastering these three modal auxiliaries is key to expressing intentions, possibilities, and necessities in French!
Flashcards (1 of 22)
- Vouloir (to want): veux
- Pouvoir (to be able): peux
- Devoir (to have to): dois
- Example: Je … + infinitive: Je veux manger. (I want to eat.)
Last updated: Thu Jun 12, 2025
