vouloir (désir)

Vouloir: Desire

Level 2

Vouloir is the essential French verb for 'to want.' It is used for desires, intentions, and making requests.

How It Works

1. Present Tense Conjugation
The verb vouloir is irregular and changes its stem frequently:

  • je veux (I want)
  • tu veux (you want)
  • il/elle/on veut (he/she/one wants)
  • nous voulons (we want)
  • vous voulez (you want)
  • ils/elles veulent (they want)

2. Expressing Politeness
In a café, shop, or when asking a favor, using je veux sounds like a demand. To sound polite, use the conditional form: Je voudrais (I would like).

3. Sentence Structures

  • Vouloir + Noun: Je veux un café. (I want a coffee.)
  • Vouloir + Infinitive: Used when you want to do something yourself. Je veux dormir. (I want to sleep.)
  • Vouloir que + Subjunctive: Used when you want someone else to do something. Je veux que tu viennes. (I want you to come.)

4. Nuance: Vouloir bien
Adding bien actually softens the verb to mean 'to be willing' or 'to not mind.'
— Tu veux m'aider ? — Je veux bien. (— Do you want to help me? — I'm willing to.)

Examples (5)

  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 an infinitive because the subject (I) is the one performing the action.

  2. Bonjour, je voudrais une baguette, s'il vous plaît.

    Hello, I would like a baguette, please.

    Word by Word: Hello, I would want a baguette, if it you pleases.

    This uses the conditional 'je voudrais' to make a polite request in a bakery.

  3. Qu'est-ce que ce mot veut dire ?

    What does this word mean?

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

    This is a common idiom: 'vouloir dire' literally means 'to want to say' but translates as 'to mean'.

  4. Je veux que tu fasses tes devoirs.

    I want you to do your homework.

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

    When the subject of wanting is different from the person doing the action, we use 'que' and the subjunctive.

  5. Est-ce que vous voulez un peu de gâteau ?

    Do you want a bit of cake?

    Word by Word: Is it that you want a bit of cake?

    A standard question using the 'vous' form of 'vouloir' in the present tense.

Common Mistakes

  • Adding 'de' or 'à' before the following verb.

    Je veux de manger.
    Je veux manger.

    Unlike some other French verbs, 'vouloir' is followed by a bare infinitive. Do not use a preposition like 'de' or 'à'.

  • Using 'je veux' in a restaurant or shop.

    Je veux un café.
    Je voudrais un café.

    While grammatically correct, 'je veux' sounds rude to service staff. 'Je voudrais' is the standard polite form.

  • Spelling 'je veux' with an 's'.

    Je veus partir.
    Je veux partir.

    The singular forms of 'vouloir' end in -x (je veux, tu veux) and -t (il veut), not -s.

How It Connects

Tap a pattern to see what it builds on and what it leads to.

vouloir (désir)Level 2Vouloir: Desire

Learn This First

To learn 'vouloir' for expressing desire and polite requests, you first need to know its irregular present tense forms. Additionally, because the polite form 'je voudrais' is a conditional form, you must understand how the conditional tense is constructed and its specific use in softening language.

Words in This Pattern

vouloir