Conjugate vouloir in Le Présent (present tense)

In: Level A1, Verbs Tenses & Conjugation, Présent indicatif, Verbe irrégulier, Verbes modaux
Questions: 19

The verb vouloir (to want) is irregular in Le Présent:

 

je veux I want
tu veux You want (one person you know well)
il/elle/on veut He/She/We/one/people want
   
nous voulons We want
vous voulez You want (more than 1 person or formal)
ils/elles veulent They want

Listen to these sentences:

Je veux un petit frère.
I want a little brother.


Tu veux de l'eau?
Do you want some water?


Il veut une glace.
He wants an ice cream.


Nous voulons une nouvelle voiture.
We want a new car.


Vous voulez une glace?
Do you want an ice cream?


Ils veulent manger des frites.
They want to eat chips.

Learn more about these related French grammar topics

Présent indicatif

Verbe irrégulier

Verbes modaux

Examples and resources

Ils veulent manger des frites.
They want to eat chips.

Nous voulons une nouvelle voiture.
We want a new car.

Tu veux de l'eau?
Do you want some water?

Vous voulez une glace?
Do you want an ice cream?

Je veux un petit frère.
I want a little brother.

Il veut une glace.
He wants an ice cream.

Q&A

Alan

Kwiziq community member

16 June 2019

2 replies

Would I use vouloir to wish for something?

Chris

Kwiziq community member

17 June 2019

17/06/19

In general that what it's there for. What did you have in mind, specifically?

Chris

Kwiziq community member

17 June 2019

17/06/19

But often "wish" is translated using "aimer", too. That has a bit of a more indirect sound, not so commanding.

Dominic

Kwiziq community member

5 December 2017

2 replies

Wouldn’t conditional be acceptable? “Would you like some water?”

Chris

Kwiziq community member

5 December 2017

5/12/17

"Voudriez-vous de l'eau" is acceptiable, if that's what you were thinking. It is actually more polite than simply "Voulez-vous de l'eau". -- Chris (not a native speaker).

Cécile

Kwiziq language super star

28 February 2018

28/02/18

Hi Dominic, 

Not in this case, you would simply use the present tense in the question.

Vous voulez de l'eau ?

The polite answer might be to say ,

j'en voudrais bien merci. 

But the question doesn't need extra politeness, the fact you are offering water is enough. 

Hope this helps!

Jamie

Kwiziq community member

10 June 2017

1 reply

Voulez-vous vs voudrez-vouz

Why is it that "voulez-vous" is a more common translation of "would you like" than the conditional "voudriez-vous"?

Ron

Kwiziq community member

12 June 2017

12/06/17

The French are generally very polite in sentence request phrasing and the use of le conditionnel is considered to be more polite, i.e. je voudrais, pourriez-vous, voudriez-vous. Loosely translated: I would like vs je peux I want, could you and would you instead of pouvez-vous, voulez-vous can you, do you want. Le conditionnel seems less abrupt.

CARLEEN

Kwiziq community member

10 October 2016

2 replies

How to conjugate vouloir in the subjuctive

Chris

Kwiziq community member

10 October 2016

10/10/16

So what's your question? Isn't the answer right in the lesson? -- Chris.

Chris

Kwiziq community member

10 October 2016

10/10/16

Sorry, I was too quick. You are asking about the Subjunctive.

je veuille
tu veuilles
il/elle veuille
nous voulions
vous vouliez
ils/elles veuillent

As a general hint: there are conjugation tables available on the internet, e.g. this one: http://conjugator.reverso.net/conjugation-french-verb-vouloir.html

-- Chris.

Alexandra

Kwiziq community member

18 December 2015

3 replies

when to use on veut vs nous voulons?

Laura

Kwiziq language super star

18 December 2015

18/12/15

Bonjour Alexandra, Nous voulons is the normal way to say "we want" in French. On veut is informal. Note that on veut can also mean "you" and "people in general": On = we, one, people

Susan

Kwiziq community member

7 October 2016

7/10/16

but doesn't on also mean we ?

Mai

Kwiziq community member

9 January 2017

9/01/17

Yes and as Laura mentioned, it's "informal". So if you're with your friends, you can use "on" instead of "nous".

Darren

Kwiziq community member

7 November 2015

3 replies

voudrais vs veux when to use which?

Laura

Kwiziq language super star

9 November 2015

9/11/15

Bonjour Darren ! Je veux means "I want" - it's very direct. Je voudrais means "I would like" - it's softer and politer, so you'd use it when ordering in a restaurant or shopping, for example.

Aurélie

Kwiziq language super star

8 December 2015

8/12/15

In France, we actually teach children to use "voudrais" instead of "veux" as it is more polite. "Maman, je veux un gâteau! - Non, on dit 'je voudrais / j'aimerais un gâteau, s'il-te-plaît maman' " :)

David

Kwiziq community member

25 January 2018

25/01/18

Merci pour les exemples.

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