French Grammar
The verb vouloir
Conjugation and examples of usageModal auxiliary verbs: 2. Vouloir.
Modal auxiliaries
also known as modal verbs, are functional
verbs that preceed other verbs in order to frame them as a possibility, an
impossibility, an obligation, a requirement, a probability or
a wish.
Traditional French grammars do not generally use the category of modal verbs; but by assimilation with English and in attempt to use a common framework of grammatical terms that can be used across the spectrum of languages, the expression "verbes modaux" is increasingly used in French grammar
Traditional French grammars do not generally use the category of modal verbs; but by assimilation with English and in attempt to use a common framework of grammatical terms that can be used across the spectrum of languages, the expression "verbes modaux" is increasingly used in French grammar
Vouloir : meaning
As a modal verb, vouloir corresponds to the English modal verb want to. It expresses desire or wish.In its most basic meaning, Je veux means I want to.
More examples below.
Full conjugation: Vouloir
Table 1| Tenses - indicative | |||
| Present |
Future |
Imperfect | |
| 1st Singular. | je veux | je voudrai | je voulais |
| 2nd Singular | tu veux | tu voudras | tu voulais |
| 3rd Singular | il veut | il voudra | il voulait |
| 1st plural | nous voulons | nous voudrons | nous voulions |
| 2nd plural | vous voulez | vous voudrez | vous vouliez |
| 3rd plural | ils veulent | ils voudront | ils voulaient |
Table 2
| Tenses - indicative | |||
| Preterite
(simple past) |
Perfect |
Pluperfect | |
| 1st Singular. | je voulus | j'ai voulu | j'avais voulu |
| 2nd Singular | tu voulus | tu as voulu | tu avais voulu |
| 3rd Singular | il voulut | il a voulu | il avait voulu |
| 1st plural | nous voulûmes | nous avons voulu | nous avions voulu |
| 2nd plural | vous voulûtes | vous avez voulu | vous aviez voulu |
| 3rd plural | ils voulurent | ils ont voulu | ils avaient voulu |
| Notes: | Rare | ||
Table 3
| Tenses - indicative | |||
| Future
perfect (passé antérieur) |
Conditional |
Past conditional | |
| 1st Singular. | j'aurai voulu | je voudrais | j'aurais voulu |
| 2nd Singular | tu auras voulu | tu voudrais | tu aurais voulu |
| 3rd Singular | il aura voulu | il voudrait | il aurait voulu |
| 1st plural | nous aurons voulu | nous voudrions | nous aurions voulu |
| 2nd plural | vous aurez voulu | vous voudriez | vous auriez voulu |
| 3rd plural | ils auront voulu | ils voudraient | ils auraient voulu |
| Notes: | Rare | Meaning "would like to" | |
Table 4
| Imperative and participles | |||
| Imperative |
Present participle |
Past participle | |
| 2nd Singular | – | voulant | voulu |
| 1st plural | – | ||
| 2nd plural | – | ||
| Notes: | Modal verbs are not used in the imperative |
||
Table 5
| Tenses - subjunctive | |||
| Present
(passé antérieur) |
Past or imperfect |
Perfect | |
| 1st Singular. | je veuille | je voulusse | j'aie voulu |
| 2nd Singular | tu veuilles | tu voulues | tu aies voulu |
| 3rd Singular | il veuille | il voulût | il ait voulu |
| 1st plural | nous voulions | nous voulussions | nous ayons voulu |
| 2nd plural | vous vouliez | vous voulussiez | vous ayez voulu |
| 3rd plural | ils veuillent | ils volussent | ils aient voulu |
| Notes: | Rare | ||
Further subjunctive cases - such as a pluperfect subjunctive ( "j'eusse voulu" ) - can theoretically be formed, though to all intents and purposes these are never used in modern French.
Vouloir : examples
of use
1. Veux-tu rentrer à la
maison?
Do you want to go home ?2. Voulez-vous m'aider s'il vous
plaît?
Would you like to help me please3. Je voudrais venir demain matin
à 10h.
I would like to come tomorrow morning at
10.4. Ils voteront le projet, que tu
le veuilles ou non.
They'll vote for the project whether you like it
or not5. N'ayant pas voulu terminer la
course, il a abandonné.
Having not wanted to finish the race, he
abandoned.6. Il a voulu battre le record du
monde.
He wanted to break the world record..7. Il est possible qu'il ait voulu
atterrir sur la plage.
He may have wanted / It's possible that he wanted
to land on the beach.
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