When vouloir(to want) is conjugated in the past conditional in French, it no longer expresses desire or volition, but instead expresses regret.
J’aurais voulu rester.
I wish I had stayed.
lit. (lit.) I would have wanted to stay.
French Articles
What are the modal verbs in French?
By: Céline Bateman-Paris Fri Aug 30 2024
The French modal verbs are vouloir(to want), pouvoir(to be able to) , savoir(to know), devoir(must), and falloir(need). Let’s start with the basics: what is a modal verb? Modal verbs are tools, like auxiliaries, used before an action verb in the infinitiveNo definition set for infinitiveLorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam, quis nostrud exercitation ullamco laboris nisi ut aliquip ex ea commodo consequat. Duis aute irure dolor in reprehenderit in voluptate velit esse cillum dolore eu fugiat nulla pariatur. Excepteur sint occaecat cupidatat non proident, sunt in culpa qui officia deserunt mollit anim id est laborum. to indicate whether the action is likely to happen (may, might, could, will) or is supposed to happen (should, ought to, must), and much more!
In English, modals are used alongside verbs, allowing you to add subtlety to your ideas. Modals operate a little differently in French, because we use the irregular verbs listed above in different tenses and moodsNo definition set for moodsLorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam, quis nostrud exercitation ullamco laboris nisi ut aliquip ex ea commodo consequat. Duis aute irure dolor in reprehenderit in voluptate velit esse cillum dolore eu fugiat nulla pariatur. Excepteur sint occaecat cupidatat non proident, sunt in culpa qui officia deserunt mollit anim id est laborum. to act as modals. In this post, we’ll review each of these modal verbs. Let’s find out more!
Table of Contents
What are French modal verbs?
Modal verbs are considered auxiliaries when they are combined with an infinitive verb in French. They express various concepts:
Wishes/desires: what someone wants/would like to be done
Ability: what can be done
Possibility: what could/might/may be done
Obligation: what must be done
Necessity: what needs to be done
Certainty: what will be done
Habits: what would be done normally
In French, the modal verbs are vouloir(to want), pouvoir(can), savoir(to know), devoir(must), falloir(need). Let’s have a look at the five French modals!
How to use the modal verb ‘vouloir’ (to want) in French?
The modal verb vouloir(to want) is used in the French present tense and present conditional mood to express desire and volition. Whether you are a beginner or an advanced French learner (or an ABBA fan!), you have probably heard the question Voulez-vous… ? (Do you want…?). You likely have also heard or used the expression Je voudrais...(I would like…) to ask for something politely. Here’s a reminder of the conjugations of vouloir in the present tense and present conditional in French:
Quick recap on the conjugations of vouloir:
Indicative present tense (want) |
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Conditional present tense (would like) |
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What if you want to express desire or volition in the past or future? Click here to check the conjugation of vouloir(to want) in all tenses.
Exception!
Vouloir can be paired with a noun or with an infinitive verb. It is when paired with an action verb that vouloir becomes a modal in French:
Ils voudraient habiter à la campagne.
They would like to live in the country.
Tip
Used with the adverb bien, vouloir is a way of saying you would do something gladly, or it is a polite way of asking someone to do something.
On voudrait bien aller au cinéma.
We’d gladly go to the movies.
Tu veux bien fermer la fenêtre ?
Close the window, will you?
How to use the modal verbs ‘pouvoir’ (can) and ‘savoir’ (to know) in French?
The modal verbs pouvoir and savoir, followed by an infinitive, express a physical or intellectual ability. They can both be translated as “to be able to” or “can.” Like vouloir, they are commonly used in the indicative present and conditional present as modal verbs.
Quick recap on the conjugations of pouvoir:
Indicative present tense
(can)je peux
tu peux
il, elle, on peut
nous pouvons
vous pouvez
ils, elles peuvent
Conditional present tense
(could)je pourrais
tu pourrais
il, elle, on pourrait
nous pourrions
vous pourriez
ils, elles pourraient
Quick recap on the conjugations of savoir:
Indicative present tense
(know how, can)je sais
tu sais
il, elle, on sait
nous savons
vous savez
ils, elles savent
Conditional present tense
(would know how, could)je savais
tu savais
il, elle, on savait
nous savions
vous saviez
ils, elles savaient
Click here to check the conjugation pouvoir in all tenses, and here for savoir.
Important
The slight difference between savoir and pouvoir is that savoir implies you acquired an ability, whereas pouvoir refers to things you are able to do physically or authorized to do. So remember, pouvoir also expresses permission. Let’s have a look at further examples, just to make sure!
Je sais conduire.
I know how to drive. → ability acquired by learning
Je peux conduire de nuit.
I can drive at night. → physical ability
Je peux conduire la voiture de ma mère.
I am allowed to drive my mother’s car. → permission
What’s the difference between “Il peut faire la roue” and “Il sait faire la roue”? Can you see the difference in the following three sentences?
Il peut faire la roue.
He can do a cartwheel.
→ physical ability
Il peut faire la roue en cours d’EPS.
He is allowed to do a cartwheel in P.E.
→ permission
Il sait faire la roue.
He knows how to do a cartwheel.
→ learned ability
Important
Sometimes, you won’t need to use pouvoir to translate “can.” You simply use the action verb without a modal:
Je ne vois rien!
I can't see!
Exception!
You have probably encountered a different translation for “could” (which here represents the conditional of pouvoir). Depending on the context, “could” can also be translated with the French imperfect tense of pouvoir.
In a hypothetical si(if) clause in French:
Si je pouvais, je voyagerais plus.
If I could, I’d travel more.
To describe a past habit:
Quand elle était petite, elle pouvait passer des heures à dessiner.
When she was a child, she could spend hours drawing.
How to use the modal verbs ‘devoir’ (must) and ‘falloir’ (need) in French?
The modals devoir and falloir express a necessity, a need, or an obligation. You can translate them as “must, need, have to.” Falloir is special in the sense it can only be conjugated with the impersonal pronoun il(it). They are both used with an infinitive, although the impersonal phrase il faut que in French requires the subjunctive.
Je devais partir.
I had to go.
Il faut manger cinq fruits et légumes par jour.
One must eat five portions of fruits and vegetables a day.
↳ Applies to anyone; it is a general statement
Tip
The phrase il faut que… (it is necessary that…) can also be used to express a need or obligation, but make sure you’re familiar with the present subjunctive in French! For example:
Il faut que tu viennes.
It is necessary that you come.
To learn further about how to use il faut que when expressing obligation, check out our other post!
Devoir and falloir are often used in the present indicative and conditional tenses as modal verbs. Let’s recap their conjugations:
Quick recap on conjugations of devoir:
Indicative present tense
(must)je dois
tu dois
il, elle, on doit
nous devons
vous devez
ils, elles doivent
Conditional present tense
(should)je devrais
tu devrais
il, elle, on devrait
il, elle, on devrait
nous devrions
ils, elles devraient
Quick recap on conjugations of falloir:
Indicative present tense
(must)il faut
Conditional present tense
(should)il faudrait
Click here to check the conjugation devoir in all tenses. And here for falloir.
Remember, the meaning of devoir and falloir slightly changes depending on the tense or mood they are in. Can you tell what the difference is between Je dois y aller, Je devrais y aller, and J’aurais dû y aller? Which one expresses a regret, an obligation, or a necessity?
Je dois y aller.
I must go.
→ obligation
Je devrais y aller.
I should be going.
→ necessity
J’aurais dû y aller.
I wish I had gone.
→ regret
Now that we have reviewed the different modal verbs in French, you are all set! In this post, we’ve focused on using French modals in the present tenses, but check out our table to see how modal verbs are conjugated in the past tenses in French, as well. Have a look at the table below to keep in mind the most important tips to master French modals. And, don’t forget to explore how to express doubt, obligation, and advice in French using modal verbs!
The French modal verbs: Key facts to remember
When using the five French modal verbs, keep the following tips in mind!
Vouloir, pouvoir, savoir, devoir, and falloirare the French modal verbs and they are all followed by infinitives.
English modals are usually translated with verbs in the present indicative and present conditional, so it is important to review the present tense in both moods.
“I can” = je peux + ability OR je sais + acquired or learned skill.
Most of the time, “should” is translated with the conditional present of devoir (I should = je devrais), “may, might, could” with the conditional present of pouvoir (I may/might/could = je pourrais), and “must” with the indicative present of devoir (I must = je dois).
You need to learn the present subjunctive to express necessity with Il faut que(it is necessary that).
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