devoir

Senses

1. 1.

   must, have to, need to

   to be obliged or required to do something

2. 2.

   should, ought to

   to be advisable or expected to do something

3. 3.

   must (probability), likely to

   to express a logical deduction or likelihood

4. 4.

   to owe

   to be indebted to someone (money or thanks)

Examples

• "Tu dois finir tes devoirs avant de sortir."

  You must finish your homework before going out.

• "Elle devrait être plus prudente."

  She should be more careful.

• "Il doit avoir trente ans."

  He must be about thirty years old.

• "Je vous dois beaucoup d'argent."

  I owe you a lot of money.

Usage

Devoir is one of the most frequent French verbs. In present tense, it expresses obligation (je dois = I must); in conditional, it softens the obligation (je devrais = I should). The past participle "dû" is also a noun meaning "debt" or "what is owed." Common fixed phrase: "un devoir" = a homework assignment.