Mission: change your plans without upsetting anyone
Pouvoir, vouloir, devoir and il faut + infinitive: say what you can, want and have to do.
FrenchA2 · Everyday lifeAbout 6 min: 2 reading, 4 practiceUpdated
- Conjugate pouvoir, vouloir and devoir in the present
- Follow them with an infinitive
- Use il faut + infinitive for "you have to / we need to"
- Turn down a plan and suggest another one politely
Everyday life, A2: lesson 6 of 6
- A2 · Everyday life
- Mission: sort out the bathroom rota with your flatmate 5 min
- Mission: get your lost suitcase back 5 min
- Mission: help a friend choose between two flats 5 min
- Mission: plan Mum's birthday with your brother 5 min
- Mission: shop at the Saturday market 5 min
- Mission: change your plans without upsetting anyone 6 min
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Level Level A2 (around the DELF A2 exam). Real French: rearranging plans with a friend by text and phone.
What it is
Your mission: your friend Sarah asks, « Tu veux venir au cinéma samedi ? » You can't: you have to work. Say no kindly, explain why, and suggest another day she can manage.
Three key verbs, all irregular, all followed by an infinitive:
| pouvoir (can) | vouloir (want) | devoir (must, have to) | |
|---|---|---|---|
| je | 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 |
- Je peux venir. I can come.
- Tu veux sortir ? Do you want to go out?
- Je dois travailler. I have to work.
Il faut + infinitive = "you have to / we need to", without saying who: Il faut réserver. (We need to book. / You have to book.)
Negative: ne … pas goes round the conjugated verb: Je ne peux pas venir.
Quick check
Tap an answer to check it.
« Ils … partir à 8 h. » (devoir)
- devoir is irregular: ils doivent
- That is il / elle
Show answer
doivent. ils doivent + infinitive.
Why it matters
Plans change all the time, and saying "I can't, I have to…, can we…?" politely is a core everyday skill. These three verbs also let you ask permission (Je peux… ?), make offers (Tu veux… ?) and give obligations (Il faut…), so they unlock a lot of conversation with very little grammar.
Worked example
By phone with Sarah:
- Sarah: Tu veux venir au cinéma samedi ?
- You: Ah, je suis désolé(e), je ne peux pas. Je dois travailler samedi.
- Sarah: Dommage ! Tu peux dimanche ?
- You: Oui, dimanche je peux. Mais il faut réserver, non ?
- Sarah: Oui, je veux bien m'en occuper. On se retrouve à 18 h ?
- You: Parfait, à dimanche !
Real French: Je veux bien means "I'd be happy to / yes, gladly", softer than a plain je veux. And to sound polite when asking for something, French uses je voudrais rather than je veux: that's coming up in a later mission.
Common mistake
Conjugating the second verb: wrong: Je peux viens. After pouvoir, vouloir, devoir and il faut, the second verb stays in the infinitive: Je peux venir.
And il faut never changes its subject: wrong: je faut, wrong: nous faut. It's always il faut.
Quick check
Tap an answer to check it.
"We have to leave."
- The second verb stays in the infinitive
- il faut never takes another subject
Show answer
Nous devons partir.. devoir + infinitive (or: Il faut partir).
Key terms
- pouvoir
- can, to be able to
- vouloir
- to want
- devoir
- must, to have to
- il faut + infinitive
- it's necessary to, you / we have to
- je veux bien
- I'd be happy to, gladly; also a mild "OK, fine"
- dommage !
- what a shame!
- on se retrouve … ?
- shall we meet …?
Practise the key terms
Tap a card to turn it over. 7 cards.
| Front | Back |
|---|---|
| pouvoir | can, to be able to |
| vouloir | to want |
| devoir | must, to have to |
| il faut + infinitive | it's necessary to, you / we have to |
| je veux bien | I'd be happy to, gladly; also a mild "OK, fine" |
| dommage ! | what a shame! |
| on se retrouve … ? | shall we meet …? |
Practice
Recognition drill
Pick the right answer, as fast as you can.
All pairs
Tap a card to turn it over. 8 cards.
| Front | Back |
|---|---|
| peux | je / tu |
| peut | il / elle / on |
| pouvez | vous |
| peuvent | ils / elles |
| veulent | ils / elles |
| voulons | nous |
| dois | je / tu |
| doivent | ils / elles |
Quick quiz
Tap an answer to check it.
« Vous … m'aider ? » (pouvoir, polite request)
- pouvoir: vous pouvez
- Conjugate pouvoir; the second verb (aider) is the infinitive
Show answer
pouvez. vous pouvez + infinitive.
"You have to book." (general rule)
- il faut + infinitive
- Always il faut
Show answer
Il faut réserver.. il faut + infinitive.
Build the sentence
Build "I can't come on Saturday."
Show answer
Je ne peux pas venir samedi.. ne + pouvoir + pas + infinitive.
Practise speaking
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Mission role-play. You are Sarah, my French friend, inviting me to the cinema on Saturday by phone. Speak naturally but clearly, at level A2, using tu. Start with « Tu veux venir au cinéma samedi ? ». I can't come on Saturday. Ask why, then suggest other days and times one at a time; accept one of my suggestions in the end. After each of my answers, tell me in English what kind of mistake I made, if any, and let me try again; watch the infinitive after pouvoir, vouloir, devoir and il faut. When I have said no politely, given a reason with devoir, suggested another day with pouvoir, and we have agreed a time, say « Mission accomplie ! » and give me one tip. Keep every reply under 3 sentences.
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In short
- pouvoir (peux, peut, pouvons, pouvez, peuvent), vouloir (veux, veut, voulons, voulez, veulent), devoir (dois, doit, devons, devez, doivent).
- Always + infinitive: je peux venir, je dois partir.
- il faut + infinitive: you / we have to.
- Polite yes: je veux bien. Sympathy: dommage !
Mastery check
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Check yourself
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How do you say "Can you come?" (to a friend)
Show answer
Tu peux venir ?
"They want to stay."
Show answer
Ils veulent rester.
"You need to book" (general): which structure?
Show answer
Il faut réserver.
Further reading
- TV5MONDE, Apprendre le français: A2 exercises on making and changing plans.
- RFI, Journal en français facile: listen for il faut and doivent in news about new rules.
Finished? Mark it done to fill in your leaf on the French map.