Modal Verbs: VOULOIR, DEVOIR, SAVOIR

Why this matters

Modal verbs are the ones that color every other verb. "I want to go." "You must arrive on time." "She knows how to cook." In French, three key modals — vouloir, devoir, savoir — unlock an enormous range of expression. Together with pouvoir from Day 3, these four modals are the engine of French conversation.

🦝 Remy says: "Modals are like seasoning — they make everything more interesting. Once you have these, you can express your desires, obligations, and abilities. That's basically half of all conversations right there."

VOULOIR — To Want

| Pronoun | Form | Example | |

|

|

| | je | veux | Je veux un café, s'il vous plaît. = I want a coffee, please. | | tu | veux | Tu veux venir ? = Do you want to come? | | il/elle | veut | Elle veut partir. = She wants to leave. | | nous | voulons | Nous voulons essayer. = We want to try. | | vous | voulez | Vous voulez quoi ? = What do you want? | | ils/elles | veulent | Ils veulent rester. = They want to stay. |

Politeness tip: In shops and restaurants, say je voudrais (I would like) instead of je veux — it's much more polite. Je voudrais un croissant. = I would like a croissant.

DEVOIR — To Have To / Must

| Pronoun | Form | Example | |

|

|

| | je | dois | Je dois travailler demain. = I have to work tomorrow. | | tu | dois | Tu dois arriver à l'heure. = You must arrive on time. | | il/elle | doit | Il doit partir. = He has to leave. | | nous | devons | Nous devons partir maintenant. = We must leave now. | | vous | devez | Vous devez réserver. = You must make a reservation. | | ils/elles | doivent | Elles doivent étudier. = They have to study. |

SAVOIR — To Know (a fact / how to do something)

| Pronoun | Form | Example | |

|

|

| | je | sais | Je sais parler espagnol. = I know how to speak Spanish. | | tu | sais | Tu sais nager ? = Do you know how to swim? | | il/elle | sait | Elle sait cuisiner très bien. = She knows how to cook very well. | | nous | savons | Nous savons la réponse. = We know the answer. | | vous | savez | Vous savez où c'est ? = Do you know where it is? | | ils/elles | savent | Ils savent tout ! = They know everything! |

SAVOIR vs CONNAÎTRE: Both mean "to know" but used differently:

• Savoir = to know a fact or know how to do something: Je sais qu'il est là. / Je sais conduire.
• Connaître = to know a person or place: Je connais Paris. / Je connais Marie.

🦝 Remy's memory trick: "Devoir and vouloir both follow the same pattern: je/tu get the same form, il/elle adds a 't'. Noticing patterns between irregular verbs makes them feel less scary. They're not so irregular after all!"

📝 Exercise 1 — Fill in the blank

1. Je ________ (vouloir) un verre d'eau.
2. Tu ________ (devoir) finir avant midi.
3. Il ________ (savoir) jouer de la guitare.
4. Nous ________ (vouloir) visiter Paris.
5. Elles ________ (devoir) appeler leur mère.

✅ Answers:

1. veux
2. dois
3. sait
4. voulons
5. doivent

📝 Exercise 2 — Make a sentence

1. (She / want / to eat) → ___
2. (We / have to / study tonight) → ___
3. (Do you [tu] / know how to / drive?) → ___
4. (They [m.] / want / to go to Paris) → ___

✅ Model answers:

1. Elle veut manger.
2. Nous devons étudier ce soir.
3. Tu sais conduire ?
4. Ils veulent aller à Paris.

📝 Exercise 3 — Translate

1. I must call my friend. → ___
2. Do you (vous) want coffee? → ___
3. She knows how to swim. → ___
4. They (f.) have to work on Saturday. → ___
5. He wants to learn French. → ___

✅ Answers:

1. Je dois appeler mon ami.
2. Vous voulez du café ?
3. Elle sait nager.
4. Elles doivent travailler samedi.
5. Il veut apprendre le français.

🎯 Today's challenge

Write five sentences about yourself using today's verbs: what you want to do this week, what you have to do, and what you know how to do. Be honest — learning a language means talking about real life!

⭐ Key takeaways

• VOULOIR (veux/veux/veut/voulons/voulez/veulent) — express desires. Use voudrais for polite requests.
• DEVOIR (dois/dois/doit/devons/devez/doivent) — express obligations and duties.
• SAVOIR (sais/sais/sait/savons/savez/savent) — knowing facts or skills; different from connaître which is for people/places.