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Verbes modaux
There’s no such thing as modal verbs in French, so translating them from English requires a bit of creative thinking. Usually you need a normal (conjugable) French verb in a particular tense or mood, but as you’ll see for 3 and 4, you can sometimes use just an adverb.
1) Can
Can meaning "to be capable of" is equivalent to pouvoir in the present tense.
I can do it. | Je peux le faire. | |
Can you help us? | Pouvez-vous nous aider ? |
Can meaning "to know how to" equals savoir.
Can he drive? | Sait-il conduire ? | |
I can’t swim. | Je ne sais pas nager. |
2) Could
Could with a present or future meaning equals pouvoir in the conditional mood.
He could be right. | Il pourrait avoir raison. | |
I could drive tomorrow. | Je pourrais conduire demain. |
Could in the past equals pouvoir in the imperfect.
When I was 15, I could sleep until noon. | Quand j’avais 15 ans, je pouvais dormir jusqu’à midi. | |
He could eat a whole cake. | Il pouvait manger un gâteau entier. |
3) May
4) Might
May and might meaning "it’s possible" = peut-être, pouvoir (present or conditional), or il se peut + subjunctive.
I may / might leave early. | Je pars tôt, peut-être. Je peux/pourrais partir tôt. Il se peut que je parte tôt. |
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He may / might be right. | Il a peut-être raison. Il peut/pourrait avoir raison. Il se peut qu’il ait raison. |
May in a request is either pouvoir in the present or vous permettez que plus the subjunctive.
May I help you? | Puis-je vous aider ? Est-ce que je peux vous aider ? | |
May I sit here? | Vous permettez que je m’assoie ici ? |
5) Must
Must can be translated by the present tense of devoir or falloir.
You must finish. | Tu dois finir. | |
I must be going. | Il faut que je m’en aille. |
6) Shall
7) Will
Shall and will plus a verb are both equivalent to the French future tense.
We shall overcome! | Nous vaincrons ! | |
I’ll finish around 2pm. | Je finirai vers 14h. |
8) Should
9) Ought to
Should and ought to are both equivalent to devoir in the conditional.
You should study more. | Tu devrais étudier plus. | |
We ought to try once more. | Nous devrions essayer encore une fois. |
10) Would
Would with a present or future meaning equals the French conditional mood.
I would like to see it. | Je voudrais le voir. | |
You would get sick if you ate all that. | Tu tomberais malade si tu mangeais tout ça. |
Would in the past equals the imperfect.
When I was hungry, I would drink water. | Quand j’avais faim, je buvais de l’eau. | |
She would call when she was scared. | Elle téléphonait quand elle avait peur. |
Part 2: Compound modal verbs
- Conditional mood
- Future tense
- Imperfect tense
- Present tense
- Semi-auxiliary verbs
- Subjunctive mood
- Introduction to modal verbs

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