# Modal Verbs: pouvoir, vouloir, devoir

https://langs123.com/en/french/verbes-modaux/pouvoir-vouloir-devoir/
CEFR A1–A2 · 2026-10-24 · CC BY 4.0, langs123 contributors (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/)

> **Pouvoir** says possibility, **vouloir** wish, **devoir** obligation, **savoir** skill: an infinitive follows. The infinitive follows these verbs directly, with no preposition: Je **peux** venir. Elle **veut** partir. Nous **devons** travailler.

## Summary

| Point | Rule | Example |  |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Form | **pouvoir**: **peux** / **peux** / **peut** / **pouvons** / **pouvez** / **peuvent** | Je **peux** venir. | I can come. |
| Form | **vouloir**: **veux** / **veux** / **veut** / **voulons** / **voulez** / **veulent** | Elle **veut** partir. | She wants to leave. |
| Form | **devoir**: **dois** / **dois** / **doit** / **devons** / **devez** / **doivent** | Nous **devons** travailler. | We have to work. |
| Pattern | subject + **pouvoir** / **vouloir** / **devoir** + infinitive | Tu **peux** entrer. | You can come in. |
| Pouvoir | possibility, permission, a request | **Pouvez**-vous répéter ? | Can you repeat that? |
| Politeness | **je voudrais** to ask politely | **Je voudrais** un café. | I would like a coffee. |
| Devoir | a personal obligation | Je **dois** partir. | I have to go. |
| Savoir | **savoir** + infinitive: a learned skill | Elle **sait** nager. | She can swim. |
| Necessity | **il faut** + infinitive: what has to be done, for everyone | **Il faut** parler lentement. | You have to speak slowly. |
| Negation | **ne** … **pas** surround the modal verb | Je **ne peux pas** venir. | I can't come. |
| Pronoun | the pronoun goes before the infinitive | Je veux **le** voir. | I want to see him. |
| Trap | no preposition: **je peux venir** | Je veux **partir**. | I want to leave. |

## Overview

- **Pouvoir**, **vouloir**, **devoir** and **savoir** are followed by an infinitive, with no **à** or **de**. Je **peux** venir à huit heures. / Tu **veux** manger ? (I can come at eight. / Do you want to eat?)
- The modal verb takes the person of the subject; the infinitive does not change. Nous **devons** partir. / Ils **veulent** partir. (We have to leave. / They want to leave.)
- For the conjugation of **savoir**, see Present Tense: Irregular Verbs.
- For **aller** + infinitive, see Near Future: je vais manger.

## Form: the present

| Person | pouvoir | vouloir | devoir |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| je / j’ | **peux** | **veux** | **dois** |
| tu | **peux** | **veux** | **dois** |
| il / elle / on | **peut** | **veut** | **doit** |
| nous | **pouvons** | **voulons** | **devons** |
| vous | **pouvez** | **voulez** | **devez** |
| ils / elles | **peuvent** | **veulent** | **doivent** |

- In the singular, **pouvoir** and **vouloir** make **-x**, **-x**, **-t**; **devoir** makes **-s**, **-s**, **-t**. Tu **peux** sortir. / Il **veut** dormir. / Je **dois** partir. (You can go out. / He wants to sleep. / I have to leave.)
- With **ils** and **elles**, the stem changes: **ils peuvent**, **ils veulent**, **ils doivent**. Elles **peuvent** venir. / Ils **veulent** manger. / Ils **doivent** partir. (They can come. / They want to eat. / They have to leave.)

## Pronunciation: the present forms

| Person | pouvoir | vouloir | devoir |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| je / j’ | /ʒə pø/ | /ʒə vø/ | /ʒə dwa/ |
| tu | /ty pø/ | /ty vø/ | /ty dwa/ |
| il / elle / on | /il pø/ | /il vø/ | /il dwa/ |
| nous | /nu puvɔ̃/ | /nu vulɔ̃/ | /nu dəvɔ̃/ |
| vous | /vu puve/ | /vu vule/ | /vu dəve/ |
| ils / elles | /il pœv/ | /il vœl/ | /il dwav/ |

- **Peux** and **peut** are pronounced /pø/, **veux** and **veut** are pronounced /vø/. Tu **peux** venir. / Il **veut** venir. (You can come. / He wants to come.)
- With **ils**, the vowel opens and the final consonant is heard: **il peut** /il pø/, **ils peuvent** /il pœv/. Il **veut** manger. / Ils **veulent** manger. (He wants to eat. / They want to eat.)

## Use: pouvoir

| Use | Example |  |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Possibility | Je **peux** venir à huit heures. / Il ne **peut** pas dormir. | I can come at eight. / He can't sleep. |
| Permission | Tu **peux** sortir ce soir. / On **peut** entrer ? | You can go out tonight. / May we come in? |
| A request | Tu **peux** m’aider ? / **Pouvez**-vous répéter, s’il vous plaît ? | Can you help me? / Can you repeat that, please? |

## Compare: savoir and pouvoir

| savoir | pouvoir |  |
| --- | --- | --- |
| a learned skill | a possibility of the moment, a permission |  |
| Je **sais** nager. | Je **peux** nager ici. | I can swim. / I can swim here. |
| Tu **sais** cuisiner ? | Tu **peux** cuisiner ce soir ? | Can you cook? / Can you cook tonight? |

## Use: vouloir and je voudrais

| Use | Example |  |
| --- | --- | --- |
| **je voudrais** + noun: asking politely | **Je voudrais** un café, s’il vous plaît. / **Je voudrais** deux billets. | I would like a coffee, please. / I would like two tickets. |
| **je voudrais** + infinitive: a polite wish | **Je voudrais** réserver une table. / **Je voudrais** parler à Marie. | I would like to book a table. / I would like to speak to Marie. |
| **vouloir** + infinitive: a wish | Elle **veut** voyager. / Qu’est-ce que tu **veux** faire ? | She wants to travel. / What do you want to do? |
| **vouloir dire**: the meaning of a word | Qu’est-ce que ça **veut** dire ? / « Salut » **veut** dire « bonjour ». | What does that mean? / “Salut” means “hello”. |
| **tu veux**, **vous voulez**: offering | Tu **veux** venir ? / Vous **voulez** boire quelque chose ? | Do you want to come? / Would you like something to drink? |
| **je veux bien**: accepting | Un café ? — Oui, je **veux** bien. | A coffee? — Yes, gladly. |

- **Je veux** is blunt; to ask politely, say **je voudrais**. **Je voudrais** un thé, s’il vous plaît. (I would like a tea, please.)

## Use: devoir and il faut

| Use | Example |  |
| --- | --- | --- |
| **devoir** + infinitive: a personal obligation | Je **dois** partir à six heures. / Tu **dois** travailler. | I have to leave at six. / You must work. |
| **il faut** + infinitive: what has to be done, for everyone | **Il faut** parler lentement. / **Il faut** manger avant de partir. | You have to speak slowly. / You have to eat before leaving. |
| **il faut** + noun: what is needed | **Il faut** du temps. / **Il me faut** un stylo. | It takes time. / I need a pen. |
| **devoir** + noun: a debt | Je **dois** dix euros à Paul. | I owe Paul ten euros. |
| Forbidding: **il ne faut pas**, **ne pas devoir** | **Il ne faut pas** courir. / Vous **ne devez pas** fumer ici. | You mustn't run. / You must not smoke here. |
| Not having to: **ne pas être obligé de**, **ne pas avoir besoin de** | Tu **n’es pas obligé de** venir. / Vous **n’avez pas besoin de** payer. | You don't have to come. / You don't need to pay. |

- For **du**, **de la** and **des** after **il faut**, see Partitives and Quantities.

## Form: negation, questions and pronouns

| Form | Example |  |
| --- | --- | --- |
| subject + **ne** + verb + **pas** + infinitive | Je **ne peux pas** venir. / Il **ne veut pas** manger. | I can't come. / He doesn't want to eat. |
| **est-ce que** + subject + verb + infinitive | **Est-ce que** tu peux venir ? / **Est-ce que** vous voulez un café ? | Can you come? / Would you like a coffee? |
| verb + hyphen + subject + infinitive | **Peux-tu** venir ? / **Voulez-vous** un café ? | Can you come? / Would you like a coffee? |
| subject + verb + **le** / **la** / **les** / **me** / **te** + infinitive | Je veux **le** voir. / Tu peux m’aider ? | I want to see him. / Can you help me? |

- For other negations, see Negation; for other questions, see Questions.
- For all the object pronouns and their position, see Object Pronouns.

## Typical errors

| ✗ | ✓ |  |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Je peut venir. | Je **peux** venir. | **je** → **peux** |
| Il veux un café. | Il **veut** un café. | **il** → **veut** |
| Je peux de venir. | Je peux **venir**. | no preposition after **pouvoir** |
| Je veux à partir. | Je veux **partir**. | no preposition after **vouloir** |
| Je ne peux venir pas. | Je **ne peux pas** venir. | **ne** … **pas** surround the modal verb, not the infinitive |
| Je voudrai un café. | Je **voudrais** un café. | **je voudrais** is written with **-ais** |
| Je peux nager très bien. | Je **sais** nager très bien. | a learned skill takes **savoir**: **je sais nager** |
| Je veux voir lui. | Je veux **le** voir. | the pronoun goes before the infinitive: **je veux le voir** |
| Il ne faut pas venir. | Tu **n’es pas obligé de** venir. | to say “you don't have to”, use **ne pas être obligé de**: **il ne faut pas** means “you must not” |