Why do the headings include 'I" before the translation of the meaning? It is only correct if the verb is preceded by 'Je' in French? Sorry, rhetorical question - clearly it isn't meant to be there, and 'I' haven't come across it in any other definitions to date.
The verb devoir usually means must / to have to (see Conjugate devoir in Le Présent (present tense)).
However, in past context, its meaning changes depending on whether you use Passé composé or Imparfait.
Devoir in Imparfait = was supposed to [do]
Ils devaient venir ce soir, mais ils ont annulé à la dernière minute.They were supposed to come tonight, but they cancelled at the last minute.
-> Here we don't know if she fulfilled that obligation.
When conjugated in Imparfait, devoir refers to a past obligation, without specifying whether it was met or not.
Actually, in most cases, the obligation was not met.
Actually, in most cases, the obligation was not met.
To conjugate devoir in Imparfait, see Conjugate regular verbs in L'Imparfait (imperfect tense)
Devoir in Passé composé = had to [do] / must have [done]
When conjugated in Passé composé, devoir can either refer to:
- a past obligation that was met.
or
- the likeliness of an action having taken place, a hypothesis on a past situation.
- a past obligation that was met.
or
- the likeliness of an action having taken place, a hypothesis on a past situation.
To conjugate devoir in Passé composé, see Conjugate voir, devoir, pouvoir, boire, croire, savoir, lire, taire (+ avoir) in Le Passé Composé (conversational past)
Learn more about these related French grammar topics
Examples and resources
Ils devaient venir ce soir, mais ils ont annulé à la dernière minute.They were supposed to come tonight, but they cancelled at the last minute.
Maintenant que ses parents n'étaient plus là, elle devait s'occuper de sa sœur.Now that her parents were gone, she had to take care of her sister.
Il est parti tôt, donc j'ai dû faire la lessive moi-même.He left early, so I had to do the laundry myself.
Q&A Forum 8 questions, 12 answers
MaartenKwiziq Q&A regular contributor
Headings include "I" in translation of Imparfait/Passé composé meanings
Asked 1 month ago
Hi Maarten,
Thank you for pointing this out, it has now been corrected.
Bonne Continuation!
Maarten asked:View original
Headings include "I" in translation of Imparfait/Passé composé meanings
Why do the headings include 'I" before the translation of the meaning? It is only correct if the verb is preceded by 'Je' in French? Sorry, rhetorical question - clearly it isn't meant to be there, and 'I' haven't come across it in any other definitions to date.
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SamKwiziq community member
Elle a dû oublier de t'appeler. Why is there a "de" between oublier and t'appeler?
Elle a dû oublier de t'appeler.
Hello why is there a "de" between oublier and t'appeler?
I often see a "de" in sentences whose placement I can't really understand. I would like to know if there is a rule for this.
Asked 2 months ago
Hi Sam,
There are lots of verbs in French which (when they are followed by another verb) have to have the preposition 'de' or 'à' before the second verb in the infinitive.
I am working on some study lists for such verbs which you can look out for in the future.
In the meantime, here are a few -
Oublier de [faire] = To forget [to do something]
Accepter de [faire] = To accept [to do something]
Choisir de [faire] = To choose [to do something]
Arrêter de [faire] = To stop [doing something]
etc.
Hope this helps!
Kwiziq Q&A regular contributor
And just to add a bit of rascally (but correct) excess to the great answer by Cecile, I will add, please remember that this odd looking *de* occurrence does not only appear between two verbs.
Or as Cecile may say in french at the end of her list..
"Vous devez vous souvenir de ca"/ You have to remember that!... which to me is one of the funniest occurrences of 'de' and hard to get your mind around but cool once learnt.
Good luck from one learner to another!
CécileKwiziq team member
Very interesting comment, Jameson, we natives don't always see the problems you encounter and this is one which would have eluded me...
Sam asked:View original
Elle a dû oublier de t'appeler. Why is there a "de" between oublier and t'appeler?
Elle a dû oublier de t'appeler.
Hello why is there a "de" between oublier and t'appeler?
I often see a "de" in sentences whose placement I can't really understand. I would like to know if there is a rule for this.
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DiegoKwiziq Q&A regular contributor
il a oublié?
Il devait me rappeler, mais il a oublié !
Should this be "il l'a oublié"? It sounds weird without a direct object for oublier.
Asked 3 months ago
Hi Diego,
It is correct to say -
Il a oublié ( de me rappeler) as in English,= He has forgotten ( to call me back )
'Il l'a oublié' would refer to an object like a tablet, a phone, a book ...
e.g.
Son passeport? Il l'a oublié, il est dans son tiroir = His passport? he has forgotten it, it is in his drawer
Hope this helps!
Diego asked:View original
il a oublié?
Il devait me rappeler, mais il a oublié !
Should this be "il l'a oublié"? It sounds weird without a direct object for oublier.
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JoanneKwiziq community member
de retard vs. du retard
Although this was an exercise about using "devoir", I didn't understand how it expressed "to be late," which was son train a eu du retard Shouldn't it be "de retard" not "du retard?"
Asked 6 months ago
Hi Joanne,
The expression is -
‘Avoir du retard’ = To be late /delayed
L’avion que nous attendons a du retard = The plane we are waiting for is late/delayed
J’ai beaucoup de retard il faut que je me dépêche = I am very late I must hurry
Hope this helps!
Joanne asked:View original
de retard vs. du retard
Although this was an exercise about using "devoir", I didn't understand how it expressed "to be late," which was son train a eu du retard Shouldn't it be "de retard" not "du retard?"
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TedKwiziq community member
l'imparfait de devoir
I am assuming that "was supposed to" and "ought to have" are the same: "he ought to have reminded me"/"he was supposed to remind me" = "il devrait me rappeler".
Asked 7 months ago
Hi Ted,
'was supposed' would use devoir in the imparfait as it is the past -
Il devait me contacter mais ne l'a pas fait = He was supposed to contact me but didn't do it
Il devait me rappeler = He was supposed to remind me /to call me back
'ought to' would use devoir in the conditional ( something that should happen)
Elle devrait aller voir ses parents plus souvent = She ought to go and visit her parents more often
'ought to have' would use devoir in the conditional past (something that should have happened but it's in the past so won't happen now)
Ils auraient dû me demander de les aider = They ought to have asked me to help them
Three different ideas and three different tenses, same verb.
But very good question!
Hope this helps!
Ted asked:View original
l'imparfait de devoir
I am assuming that "was supposed to" and "ought to have" are the same: "he ought to have reminded me"/"he was supposed to remind me" = "il devrait me rappeler".
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William Kwiziq Q&A regular contributor
A Supplementary Question
I know that the exercise is about conjugating "devoir" but the second clause is unusual.
You were supposed to go and see her, but something came up. Will there be an separate exercise for this construction?
".... but something came up" .... " ..... mais tu as eu un empéchement"
Asked 1 year ago
Hi William,
'Avoir un empêchement' means to, have an obstruction, hindrance that stopped you doing something ...
So it can be translated in English by
' to have an emergency', 'to be unable to do something', or 'something came up' as in the example you quote.
Hope this helps!
William asked:View original
A Supplementary Question
I know that the exercise is about conjugating "devoir" but the second clause is unusual.
You were supposed to go and see her, but something came up. Will there be an separate exercise for this construction?
".... but something came up" .... " ..... mais tu as eu un empéchement"
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AnnKwiziq Q&A regular contributor
The way I understand devoir, it can mean inevitability in the imparfait such as Il eva it perdre un jour. in the test question, the answer for she had
to replace him was "Elle a dû" vs if it was inevitable, shouldn't "Elle devait" be correct as well?
Asked 1 year ago
Chris Kwiziq Q&A super contributor
Elle a dû le remplacer. -- She had to replace him.Elle devait le remplacer. -- She was supposed to replace him.
AnnKwiziq Q&A regular contributor
From the thought co: You can also use devoir to express fatalism or the fact that something is inevitable:
Il devait perdre un jour. > He had to / was bound to lose one day. Elle ne devait pas l'entendre avant lundi. > She wasn't to hear it until Monday.Ann asked:View original
The way I understand devoir, it can mean inevitability in the imparfait such as Il eva it perdre un jour. in the test question, the answer for she had
to replace him was "Elle a dû" vs if it was inevitable, shouldn't "Elle devait" be correct as well?
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BillKwiziq Q&A regular contributor
New lesson
Great lesson but didn’t see it til I failed a test question:(. Is there a way to find new lessons easily if one has already gotten 100% on all existing lessons? Merci
Asked 1 year ago
Bill asked:View original
New lesson
Great lesson but didn’t see it til I failed a test question:(. Is there a way to find new lessons easily if one has already gotten 100% on all existing lessons? Merci
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