vouloir

The French verb “vouloir” is a very important and frequently used verb. It means “to want.” It is often used with other verbs, eg “to want to do.” As such, it is described as an auxiliary verb, or helper verb, because it is useful when combined with other French verbs.

Below are the conjugations for the French verb “vouloir” in the present tense, future simple, present conditional, and passé composé, along with examples for each tense.

Present Tense Conjugation:

  • Je veux
  • Tu veux
  • Il/Elle/On veut
  • Nous voulons
  • Vous voulez
  • Ils/Elles veulent

Examples in Present Tense:

  1. Je veux manger une pizza ce soir. (I want to eat a pizza tonight.)
  2. Tu veux venir avec nous au cinéma? (Do you want to come with us to the cinema?)
  3. Il veut apprendre le français. (He wants to learn French.)
  4. Nous voulons acheter une nouvelle voiture. (We want to buy a new car.)
  5. Vous voulez du café? (Do you want some coffee?)
  6. Elles veulent visiter Paris cet été. (They want to visit Paris this summer.)

Future Simple Conjugation:

  • Je voudrai
  • Tu voudras
  • Il/Elle/On voudra
  • Nous voudrons
  • Vous voudrez
  • Ils/Elles voudront

Examples in Future Simple:

  1. Je voudrai voyager autour du monde. (I will want to travel around the world.)
  2. Tu voudras apprendre à jouer de la guitare. (You will want to learn to play the guitar.)
  3. Elle voudra essayer ce nouveau restaurant. (She will want to try this new restaurant.)
  4. Nous voudrons acheter une maison à la campagne. (We will want to buy a house in the countryside.)
  5. Vous voudrez voir ce film. (You will want to see this movie.)
  6. Ils voudront participer à la compétition. (They will want to participate in the competition.)

Present Conditional Conjugation:

  • Je voudrais
  • Tu voudrais
  • Il/Elle/On voudrait
  • Nous voudrions
  • Vous voudriez
  • Ils/Elles voudraient

Examples in Present Conditional:

  1. Je voudrais un café, s’il vous plaît. (I would like a coffee, please.)
  2. Tu voudrais venir avec nous? (Would you like to come with us?)
  3. Il voudrait savoir la vérité. (He would like to know the truth.)
  4. Nous voudrions réserver une table pour deux. (We would like to reserve a table for two.)
  5. Vous voudriez essayer cette robe? (Would you like to try on this dress?)
  6. Elles voudraient visiter le musée. (They would like to visit the museum.)

Passé Composé Conjugation:

  • J’ai voulu
  • Tu as voulu
  • Il/Elle/On a voulu
  • Nous avons voulu
  • Vous avez voulu
  • Ils/Elles ont voulu

Examples in Passé Composé:

  1. J’ai voulu apprendre à cuisiner. (I wanted to learn how to cook.)
  2. Tu as voulu aller à la plage hier. (You wanted to go to the beach yesterday.)
  3. Il a voulu parler avec le directeur. (He wanted to speak with the director.)
  4. Nous avons voulu organiser une fête. (We wanted to organize a party.)
  5. Vous avez voulu acheter ce livre. (You wanted to buy this book.)
  6. Elles ont voulu voir la tour Eiffel. (They wanted to see the Eiffel Tower.)

Don’t miss new articles!

Get 1 email a week with new articles about French

We don’t spam! Read more in our privacy policy

Similar Posts

  • être en panne

    “Être en panne” is a French saying that means to be damaged, to be broken, to be defective, to have broken down, or to have stopped an activity. This expression dates back to the 16th century, to the world of sailing ships. “Mettre en panne” meant to adjust the sails in such a way that…

  • suffire

    The verb suffire expresses the idea that something is adequate, enough or all that is needed. It is an intransitive verb and is most often used with il as an impersonal subject, although personal subjects are also possible. It is commonly followed by an infinitive, a noun, or à when specifying what something is sufficient…

  • passer au caviar

    The French idiom “passer au caviar” means literally “to pass to the caviar” or “to switch to the caviar.” This expression comes from Russia. Under the rule of Tsar Nicholas I (1825-1855), censorship was common. In books and journals, areas that had been censored were covered in black ink. This black ink was the same…

  • venir

    The French verb “venir” means “to come.” It is one of the most frequently used verbs in the French language. Present Tense (Présent) Future Tense (Futur Simple) Passé Composé In the passé composé, the verb “venir” uses “être” as the auxiliary verb, and the past participle “venu” agrees in gender and number with the subject.

  • recevoir

    The French verb “recevoir” The verb “recevoir” is an irregular third-group French verb that means “to receive” or “to get.” It is frequently used in both formal and informal contexts. Like other irregular verbs, its conjugation requires special attention, but its utility makes it an essential verb to learn. Meanings of “recevoir” Conjugation of “Recevoir”…

  • verb: ranger & se ranger

    Meanings Differences between “Ranger” and “Se Ranger” The primary distinction between “ranger” and “se ranger” is that “ranger” concerns organizing or tidying objects, while “se ranger” relates to individuals or entities taking up a particular position, figuratively or literally. Conjugation in Present Tense and Passé Composé Let’s examine how “ranger” and “se ranger” are conjugated…