Vouloir is the French verb for "to want," expressing desire, intention, or wishes. It is highly useful for making requests and expressing preferences. As an irregular verb, vouloir does not follow standard conjugation patterns, so it must be memorized.
- vouloir = "to want"
- Expresses desires, wishes, and intentions
- Used for requests and preferences
- Irregular verb: unique conjugations needed
'vouloir' means 'to want.'
'vouloir' is an irregular verb.
'vouloir' is used for expressing desires, making requests, and stating intentions.
Present Tense
The present tense of vouloir shows current desires or wishes. Its conjugation is irregular:
| Subject | Conjugation | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| Je | veux | I want |
| Tu | veux | You want (sing./fam.) |
| Il/Elle/On | veut | He/She/One wants |
| Nous | voulons | We want |
| Vous | voulez | You want (formal/pl.) |
| Ils/Elles | veulent | They want |
- Used for expressing what someone wants right now.
- Also for common requests when softened by context.
Example:
- Je veux un café. (I want a coffee.)
- Veux-tu venir? (Do you want to come?)
'voulons' is the correct form for 'nous'.
'Ils veulent' means 'They want.'
'vouloir' can be used to make requests if softened (e.g., 'Voulez-vous...').
Conditional Tense
The conditional form of vouloir is used to express wants in a polite or hypothetical way, often seen as “would want.”
| Subject | Conditional | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| Je | voudrais | I would want |
| Tu | voudrais | You would want |
| Il/Elle/On | voudrait | He/She/One would want |
| Nous | voudrions | We would want |
| Vous | voudriez | You would want |
| Ils/Elles | voudraient | They would want |
- Use for polite requests: “Je voudrais...” (I would like...)
- Also for hypothetical desires.
Example:
- Je voudrais une glace. (I would like an ice cream.)
- Voudriez-vous danser? (Would you like to dance?)
'voudrais' is the conditional form for 'je'.
The conditional is used for polite expressions or hypothetical situations.
'Nous voudrions' means 'We would want.'
Summary
Vouloir is an essential irregular French verb for expressing want/desire.
- Present: use veux, veux, veut, voulons, voulez, veulent for current desires.
- Conditional: use voudrais, voudrais, voudrait, voudrions, voudriez, voudraient for polite or hypothetical wants.