vouloir (présent)

Irregular Verb Vouloir (To Want)

Level 1

Vouloir (to want) is an irregular verb used to express a wish or intention. In the present tense, it follows a x, x, t ending pattern for singular subjects.

How It Works

Vouloir is one of the most common verbs in French. It functions as a modal verb, meaning it can be followed directly by an infinitive without any preposition.

1. Conjugation Table:

  • Je veux (I want)
  • Tu veux (You want - informal)
  • Il/Elle/On veut (He/She/One wants)
  • Nous voulons (We want)
  • Vous voulez (You want - formal/plural)
  • Ils/Elles veulent (They want)

2. Usage with Nouns and Infinitives:
You can use vouloir followed by a noun (Je veux un café) or directly by an infinitive (Nous voulons partir). Do not add 'de' or 'à' before the infinitive.

3. Wanting Someone Else to Act:
To say you want someone else to do something, you must use the vouloir que construction. This requires the subjunctive mood for the following verb. Note: This is only for different subjects. If you want to do something yourself, use the infinitive.
Ex: Je veux que tu viennes. (I want you to come - different subjects)
Ex: Je veux venir. (I want to come - same subject)

4. Common Idioms:

  • Vouloir dire: Means 'to mean'. (Ça veut dire quoi ? - What does that mean?)
  • Vouloir bien: Means 'to be willing' or 'to be happy to'. (Je veux bien t'aider. - I'm happy to help you.)
  • En vouloir à (quelqu'un): Means 'to be angry with' or 'to hold a grudge against' someone. (Il m'en veut. - He is angry with me.)

5. Politeness and Formal Requests:
While je veux is grammatically correct, it can sound demanding. In shops or restaurants, it is better to use the conditional form (je voudrais). For formal written requests or signs, use the special imperative form Veuillez followed by an infinitive (Veuillez patienter - Please wait).

Examples (6)

  1. Je veux apprendre le français.

    I want to learn French.

    Word by Word: I want to learn the French.

    Here, 'vouloir' is followed directly by the infinitive 'apprendre'.

  2. Tu veux un morceau de gâteau ?

    Do you want a piece of cake?

    Word by Word: You want a piece of cake?

    This uses 'vouloir' with a noun phrase to ask about a desire.

  3. Qu'est-ce que ça veut dire ?

    What does that mean?

    Word by Word: What is it that that wants to say?

    A very common idiomatic expression using 'vouloir dire' (to mean).

  4. Je veux bien t'aider.

    I am willing to help you.

    Word by Word: I want well to you help.

    The expression 'vouloir bien' means to be willing or to agree to something.

  5. Je veux que tu fasses tes devoirs.

    I want you to do your homework.

    Word by Word: I want that you do (subjunctive) your homework.

    When the subject wants someone else to act, use 'que' followed by the subjunctive.

  6. Ils veulent manger au restaurant.

    They want to eat at the restaurant.

    Word by Word: They want to eat at the restaurant.

    Note the third-person plural stem 'veul-' and the silent '-ent' ending.

Common Mistakes

  • Using an object pronoun and an infinitive to say you want someone else to do something.

    Je veux toi venir.
    Je veux que tu viennes.

    In French, you cannot say 'I want you to [verb]'. Instead, you must use the construction 'vouloir que' followed by the subjunctive mood.

  • Adding a preposition before the infinitive.

    Je veux de manger.
    Je veux manger.

    Unlike some other French verbs, 'vouloir' connects directly to the infinitive without 'de' or 'à'.

  • Using 'je veux' in formal service situations.

    Je veux un croissant.
    Je voudrais un croissant.

    Using the present tense 'je veux' can sound blunt or demanding. Use the conditional 'je voudrais' to be polite.

How It Connects

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vouloir (présent)Level 1Irregular Verb Vouloir (To Want)

Learn This First

To learn the irregular verb 'vouloir', you first need to be familiar with French subject pronouns and the basic structure of a sentence. Since 'vouloir' changes its form based on the subject, knowing who is performing the action is the first step.

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Words in This Pattern

vouloir