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Key verbs - auxiliaries, avoir and être, and modal verbs Modal verbs – pouvoir, devoir, vouloir

Find out how to use key verbs for different tenses. Common verb forms used in French are auxiliary verbs, expressions with avoir and être and modal verbs.

Part of FrenchVerbs and tenses

Modal verbs – pouvoir, devoir, vouloir

These are useful verbs that are always followed by an infinitive. They are usually used in the present, imperfect, past tense with a past participle or in the conditional tense.

pouvoir – means can/to be able to

  • je peux aller à la fête - I can go to the party
  • je pouvais/j’ai pu aller à la fête -I was able to go to the party
  • je pourrais aller à la fête - I would be able to go to the party

devoir - means have to/must or on the conditional ought to/should

  • il doit jouer au foot - he must play football
  • il devait/a dû jouer au foot - he had to play football
  • il devrait jouer au foot - he ought to play football

vouloir – means want/wish

  • on veut boire du café - we want to drink coffee
  • on voulait/a voulu boire du café - we wanted to drink coffee
  • on voudrait boire du café - we would like to drink coffee