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

  • battre la campagne

    “Battre la campagne” is a French saying that literally means “to beat the countryside.” What it really means is “to talk nonsense,” “to rant,” or “to travel over large areas in search of something or someone.” It comes from a practice used by hunters of getting servants or friends to use sticks to beat bushes…

  • Future simple phrases

    The Future Simple tense in French (“le futur simple”) is the equivalent of the English future tense that uses the words “will” or “won’t.” Eg “I will go to the park; They won’t go to the shop.” The Future Simple is used less frequently than the English equivalent, because it is acceptable to use the…

  • pour + infinitive

    In French, one of the most common ways to express purpose or intention is by using “pour” followed by an infinitive verb. This structure is equivalent to “in order to” in English and is widely used in both spoken and written French. In everyday English, the words “in order” are often omitted. 1. Basic Structure…

  • appel du pied

    An “appel du pied” literally means a “call of the foot” but actually means a discrete invitation, a seduction attempt, an allusive proposal or simply an invitation. Its origin is unknown. There is a related term that exists in the world of fencing with swords, but it doesn’t seem to be linked to this usage….

  • balader

    Meaning and Usage The verb “balader” is a versatile French verb that primarily means “to walk” or “to take a stroll,” but it can have several meanings depending on its context and usage. Most commonly, it is used in its reflexive form “se balader,” which means “to go for a walk” or “to wander around.”…

  • |

    pile

    In French, the word “pile” can function either as an adverb or as a feminine noun. Each has its own meaning (or meanings) and usage. Both are pronounced like PEEL. 1. The Adverb “Pile” As an adverb, “pile” conveys precision and exactness, often used to denote specific moments in time or precise measurements. Usage Examples:…