il me faut

The French phrase “il me faut” means “I need.” Literally translated, it means “it to me is necessary.” Versions also exist for you, he/she, we, you (formal/plural) and they.

This is an alternative to the expression “avoir besoin de” (to have need of).

“Il me faut” is always followed by a noun. It is never followed by the relative pronoun “que.” It is only followed by the word “que” in the negative construction “il ne me faut que” (I only need). An example of “I only need” is “il ne me faut que deux heures pour en finir” (I only need two hours to finish the job).

FrenchEnglish
il me fautI need
il te fautyou need
il lui fauthe needs/she needs
il nous fautwe need
il vous fautyou (formal/plural) need
il leur fautthey need

Examples

  1. Il me faut un stylo pour écrire cette lettre. (I need a pen to write this letter.)
  2. Il te faut un rendez-vous avec le médecin. (You need an appointment with the doctor.)
  3. Il lui faut des efforts supplémentaires pour réussir ses examens. (He/she needs additional efforts to pass his/her exams.)
  4. Il nous faut des provisions pour le voyage. (We need provisions for the trip.)
  5. Il vous faut un ticket pour entrer dans le musée, s’il vous plaît. (You need a ticket to enter the museum, please.)
  6. Il leur faut une solution rapide pour éviter tout problème. (They need a quick solution to avoid any issues.)

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