Hello! Is there a difference between "Vous voulez une glace?" and "Voulez-vous une glace?" I thought that questions had to be done with inversions. Thank you!
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?
Learn more about these related French grammar topics
Examples and resources
Q&A Forum 7 questions, 16 answers
Hi Daniel,
Take a look at the following Kwiziq lesson which will give you the most common way of asking questions in French -
Hope this helps!
Chris Kwiziq Q&A super contributor
There a several ways to form a question. Inversion is one of them. I believe there are lessons on that topic available.
Daniel asked:View original
Vous voulez vs Voulez-vous
Hello! Is there a difference between "Vous voulez une glace?" and "Voulez-vous une glace?" I thought that questions had to be done with inversions. Thank you!
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Hi Alan,
There are also the verbs 'souhaiter ' and 'désirer' to describe a stronger wish rather than something you'd just like to happen.
e.g.
Je lui souhaite une bonne santé = I wish him/her good health
Je désire/souhaite déménager dans les deux ans à venir = I wish to move in the two coming years
Hope this helps!
Chris Kwiziq Q&A super contributor
In general that what it's there for. What did you have in mind, specifically?
Chris Kwiziq Q&A super contributor
But often "wish" is translated using "aimer", too. That has a bit of a more indirect sound, not so commanding.
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DominicKwiziq community member
Wouldn’t conditional be acceptable? “Would you like some water?”
Asked 1 year ago
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!
Chris Kwiziq Q&A super contributor
"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).
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JamieKwiziq community member
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"?
Asked 2 years ago
Ron Kwiziq Q&A super contributor
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.
Jamie asked:View original
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"?
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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.
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.
Chris Kwiziq Q&A super contributor
So what's your question? Isn't the answer right in the lesson? -- Chris.
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LauraKwiziq team member
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
MaiKwiziq community member
Yes and as Laura mentioned, it's "informal". So if you're with your friends, you can use "on" instead of "nous".
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LauraKwiziq team member
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.
AurélieKwiziq team member
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' "
:)
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