falloir is an essential French verb expressing necessity or obligation. It is impersonal, used only in the third person singular form il faut, regardless of what follows. This unique usage makes it indispensable for conveying “must,” “need,” or “it is necessary to” in everyday French.
- Impersonal verb: only il faut (it is necessary/one must)
- Expresses obligation, necessity, or recommendation
- Can be followed by a noun, infinitive, or clause
Only 'il faut' is used for 'falloir,' reflecting its impersonal nature.
Meaning & Usage
falloir means “to be necessary,” and is used when something must be done, or when expressing general rules or necessities. Because it is impersonal, it can’t refer directly to “I,” “you,” or “they”—only to a general “one” or “people.”
- Core meaning: “to be necessary”
- Used for rules, advice, or universal statements
- Cannot be conjugated like regular verbs (only il faut)
The verb 'falloir' expresses necessity or obligation.
Conjugation
Because falloir is impersonal, only one form is used in the present:
| Tense | Il faut / Il fallut / Il faudra / Il faudrait | Usage |
|---|---|---|
| Present | il faut | It is necessary/You must |
| Past (simple) | il fallut | It was necessary |
| Future | il faudra | It will be necessary |
| Conditional | il faudrait | It would be necessary |
- Only il faut in present
- Other tenses keep “il” + modified fall- form
Only 'il faut' is used for present tense falloir.
Common Structures
| Pattern | Example | Translation |
|---|---|---|
| Il faut + noun | Il faut du pain. | Bread is needed. / You need bread. |
| Il faut + infinitive | Il faut étudier. | One must study. / Studying is necessary. |
| Il faut + que + subj | Il faut que tu viennes. | You must come. |
- After il faut, use noun for things, infinitive for actions, subjunctive for persons.
falloir is used with: il faut + noun, il faut + infinitive, il faut + que + subj.
Examples
- Il faut du sucre. → Sugar is needed.
- Il faut partir maintenant. → You must leave now.
- Il faut que tu saches la vérité. → You must know the truth.
Conclusion
falloir is a crucial impersonal verb for expressing necessity and obligation in French. Its unique usage with “il faut” enables you to give instructions, rules, and advice fluently.
- Expresses necessity: “to be necessary”
- Only used as il faut in the present
- Used with nouns, infinitives, or subjunctive for different meanings
'falloir' is used as 'il faut...' and can express advice with an infinitive, noun, or subjunctive clause.