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The French verb vouloir (to want): meaning and conjugation

When learning a language, it is a common tactic to learn the most used words. Vouloir is one of the most commonly used verbs in the French language. While it generally translates as "to want in French", it can also have different meanings, depending on the tense used or the context.

In this post, I will share with you the different meanings of the verb vouloir and how to conjugate this useful French verb.


Vouloir in French _To want

1. What is the meaning of vouloir?


Vouloir basically means to want, to desire, or to wish. However, it can be translated in other ways, depending on the context of use. Below are a few meanings of the French verb vouloir.


*Vouloir - as " would like"


The verb vouloir is often used to be subtle or polite. For instance when instead of saying je veux (I want), courteous people would rather say Je voudrais (I would like). This is a common phrase that you can use in many contexts: while shopping, going to the doctor, at the airport, or in any situation of your life where you want to say politely I would like.


*Vouloir - as "Please" or "Could"


Vouloir is also used to ask nicely someone to do something. We are still in politeness. In that case, the imperative form is used. It could be translated as Please, could or be kind to.

Example: Veuillez refermer la porte après vous (Please, close the door after you/be kind to close the door after you or simply "could you close the door after you?").

Another way, is to use the infinitive form of vouloir, with the adverb bien. Example: Bien vouloir refermer la porte après vous.


*Vouloir used as "a wish" or to express a strong command


Vouloir can also be used as a wish, or to demand something. In that case, the verb vouloir is followed by subjunctive tense.

Example:

  • Je voudrais que mes enfants viennent me voir à Noël. =>I would like my children to come to see me at Christmas/I wish my children will visit me at Christmas.

  • Je veux que tu fasses tes devoirs. =>I want you to do your homework / I demand that you do your homework.


*Vouloir used as "to agree"


When used with bien in the present tense, like in the following example, Vouloir is a mark of acceptance, of agreement.

Je veux bien t'aider. => I am ok to help you.


*Vouloir used as a noun: a will/willingness


Vouloir is a masculine word that can be translated as a will in French. Example: Je lui ai demandé de l'aide mais tout dépendra de son bon vouloir. => I asked him for help but everything will depend on his goodwill /willingness.




2. How to conjugate the verb vouloir?


You will find below, the conjugation tables of the main tenses any beginner and intermediate French learner should know.


*Conjugation of Vouloir in the Present tense


Even if vouloir ends with "IR", it is not a regular verb. It is an irregular verb with a stem change. In fact, you have 3 stems for the present tense. Veu - Voul -Veul

Once you know these beginnings, you just need to add the following endings to them, depending on the subject: x - x - t - ons -ez -ent

If it is easier for you to learn with songs, you should check out this Youtube Channel proposing the conjugation of Vouloir in the Present tense.

French

English

Je veux

I want

Tu veux

You want

Il/elle veut

He/She wants

Nous voulons

We want

Vous voulez

You want

Ils/elles veulent

They want

*Conjugation of Vouloir in the simple future tense


Conjugating in the future tense is quite easy for regular verbs. But for an irregular verb like vouloir,, you need to know the stem which is VOUDR, and then you apply the regular endings of the future tense: ai -as - a- ons - ez- ont.


French

English

Je voudrai

​I will want

Tu voudras

You will want

Il/elle voudra

He/she will want

Nous voudrons

We will want

Vous voudrez

You will want

Ils/elles voudront

They will want



*Conjugating Vouloir in the Imperfect tense


The conjugation base for l'imparfait is Voul. The endings are ais- ais - ait - ions - iez - aient.

French

English

Je voulais

I wanted

Tu voulais

You wanted

Il/elle voulait

He/she wanted

Nous voulions

We wanted

Vous vouliez

You wanted

Ils/elles voulaient

They wanted


*Conjugation of Vouloir in Passé composé


In the passé composé tense, the verb vouloir is conjugated with the auxiliary avoir in the present tense and the past participle. The past participle of vouloir is "Voulu".


French

English

J'ai voulu

I wanted

Tu as voulu

You wanted

Il/elle a voulu

He/she wanted

Nous avons voulu

We wanted

Vous avez voulu

You wanted

Ils/elles ont voulu

They wanted


*Conjugating Vouloir in the subjunctive tense


French

English

Que je veuille

That I want

Que tu veuilles

That you want

Qu'il/elle veuille

That he/she wants

Que nous voulions

That we want

Que vous vouliez

That you want

Qu'ils/qu'elles veuillent

That they want

*Vouloir in the present conditional tense: conjugation table


As you can see, in the present conditional, vouloir is translated as "would like".


French

English

Je voudrais

I would like

Tu voudrais

You would like

Il/elle voudrait

He/she would like

Nous voudrions

We would like

Vous voudriez

We would like

Ils/elles voudraient

They would like

*Vouloir in the plus-que-parfait

French

English

J'avais voulu

I had wanted

Tu avais voulu

You had wanted

Il/elle avait voulu

He/she had wanted

Nous avions voulu

We had wanted

Vous aviez voulu

You had wanted

Ils/elles avaient voulu

They had wanted

*Vouloir in the imperative mood


There are only 3 conjugated forms in the imperative:

  • Veuille

  • Veuillons

  • Veuillez






3. Expressions with the verb vouloir in French


Here are some useful sentences and expressions containing the verb Vouloir.


*Vouloir c'est pouvoir => When there is a will, there is a way


*En vouloir à quelqu'un => To hold a grudge against someone

Je lui en veux car c'est lui la source de mes problèmes. I hold a grudge against him because he is the origin of my problems.


*En vouloir à la vie de quelqu'un => to have the intention of killing someone

Mon client en veut à ma vie car je lui ai donné un conseil qui lui a fait perdre des centaines de millions. => My customer wants to kill me because I gave him an advice that made him loose hundreds of millions.


*S'en vouloir => to blame oneself

Je m'en veux de ne lui avoir pas prêté de l'argent. => I blame myself for not lending him money.


*Qu'on le veuille ou non => Whether we Like it or not

Qu'il le veuille ou non, il devra participer à cette conférence. Whether he likes it or not, he will have to participate to this congress.


*Vouloir dire => to mean

Que veut dire cette expression => What does this expression mean


*C'est toi qui l'as voulu => It's your fault


 


We have gone through the essential things you need to know about the French verb vouloir. You should then be able to understand its meaning depending on the context, and able to conjugate it properly.



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