Bonjour! Welcome back to your next French lesson.
In our last session, we explored how to build hypothetical sentences with the si + imparfait + conditionnel structure. This gave you a powerful tool to talk about possibilities. We also touched on how the conditional tense on its own can be used to give advice politely. Today, we'll expand on that theme.
This lesson focuses on two of the most common and essential ways to give advice and express necessity using il faut + infinitive and devoir in the conditional. Mastering these structures is crucial for your goals of navigating professional, academic, and social conversations, as giving recommendations and understanding obligations are frequent interactions in all three areas.
1. Personal Advice: Devoir in the Conditional (You Should)
You're already familiar with the conditional tense. When you apply it to the verb devoir (to have to/must), its meaning softens from a strong obligation ("must") to a piece of advice ("should").
- Present tense (obligation):
Tu dois finir ce rapport.-> You must finish this report. - Conditional tense (advice):
Tu devrais finir ce rapport.-> You should finish this report.
This distinction is fundamental. The video below explains this concept very clearly.
The video 'Devoir: must or should?' from the French Truly TV channel perfectly illustrates how the meaning of 'devoir' changes depending on whether you use the present indicative or the conditional.
Please watch from 02:04 to 03:38. Pay close attention to the side-by-side examples showing 'devoir' in different tenses and how the English translation changes from 'must'/'have to' to 'should'.
To give personal advice, you simply conjugate devoir in the conditional and follow it with an infinitive verb. Here is the conjugation, which follows the regular pattern you already know (future stem devr- + imparfait endings):
| Pronoun | devoir (conditional) |
English |
|---|---|---|
| je | devrais |
I should |
| tu | devrais |
you should (informal) |
| il/elle/on | devrait |
he/she/one should |
| nous | devrions |
we should |
| vous | devriez |
you should (formal/plural) |
| ils/elles | devraient |
they should |
Examples in Context:
- Professional:
Pour l'entretien, vous **devriez** préparer des questions sur l'entreprise.(For the interview, you should prepare questions about the company.) - Social:
Tu **devrais** goûter ce gâteau, il est délicieux !(You should taste this cake, it's delicious!) - Academic:
Nous **devrions** réviser ce chapitre avant l'examen.(We should review this chapter before the exam.)
2. General Advice: Il faut + Infinitive (It is necessary to)
Another extremely common way to express necessity or give advice is with the impersonal expression il faut. "Impersonal" means it doesn't refer to a specific person (je, tu, vous, etc.). It's more like saying "one must" or "it is necessary to."
The structure is simple: il faut + infinitive verb.
Il faut comes from the verb falloir, which is only ever conjugated with il.
The following video introduces this essential expression.
👉 "IL FAUT", c'est le verbe FALLOIR. - Je t'explique tout sur ce verbe dans cette vidéo ! 😉
In this video from Guillaume Posé, he explains the verb 'falloir' and how to use the common expression 'il faut'.
Watch two short clips: From the beginning to 00:29 to understand the basic meaning of 'il faut'. From 04:24 to 05:28 to see how 'il faut' + infinitive is used to express general advice.
This structure is perfect for stating rules, general truths, or advice that applies to everyone in a situation.
Examples in Context:
- General rule:
À la bibliothèque, **il faut** parler à voix basse.(In the library, it is necessary to speak quietly.) - Health advice:
Pour être en forme, **il faut** faire du sport régulièrement.(To be in shape, one must exercise regularly.) - Instructions:
Pour postuler, **il faut** envoyer un CV et une lettre de motivation.(To apply, it is necessary to send a CV and a cover letter.)
3. Choosing Between devriez and il faut
So, when do you use vous devriez versus il faut? The key is the distinction between personal and impersonal advice.
- Use
devoirin the conditional when you are giving specific advice to a person or group. It's direct and personal. - Use
il fautwhen you are stating a general rule, a necessity, or advice that is not aimed at anyone in particular.
The image below provides a fantastic visual summary of this difference.
Let's read a short article that neatly summarizes these different ways of expressing obligation and advice.
How to choose your obligation words
The article 'How to choose your obligation words' from Simply French Online provides a great breakdown of the nuances between these expressions.
Please read the sections titled 'The obligation spectrum in French', 'How to express obligation with the French verb devoir', 'How do you use il faut?', and 'Which obligation word to choose?'. Focus on how the article explains the difference between personal advice (with 'devrais') and general necessity (with 'il faut').
Test your understanding!
Imagine you are in the following situations. Would you use a form of devoir (in the conditional) or il faut?
- Your friend is looking for a job. You want to tell him: "You should update your LinkedIn profile."
- You are explaining the process for getting a student visa to a general audience. You want to say: "It is necessary to fill out a long form."
Show answer
devoir. The advice is personal and directed at your friend:Tu **devrais** mettre à jour ton profil LinkedIn.il faut. This is a general instruction, a rule for everyone going through the process:**Il faut** remplir un long formulaire.
Conclusion
You've now learned two indispensable tools for giving advice and expressing necessity in French. Using them correctly will make your speech more natural and precise.
Key Takeaways:
- To give personal advice ("you should"), use the verb
devoirin the conditional (je devrais,tu devrais,vous devriez, etc.) followed by an infinitive. - To state a general rule or necessity ("one must," "it is necessary to"), use the impersonal expression
il fautfollowed by an infinitive. - The choice between them depends on whether your advice is directed at a specific person or is a general statement.
Next Lesson Preview:
In our next lesson, we will continue to add nuance to your expression by learning how to make comparisons. You will learn how to use comparatives (plus/moins/aussi...que) to compare people, things, and actions. This is another step towards expressing more complex and detailed thoughts.
À bientôt !