He should in french

In French, a possible translation is therefore to use si jamais In formal or careful usage, English sometimes uses should to emphasise the speaker's reaction to something rather than stating that something has taken place. In a formal analysis, this is sometimes called a non-assertion. In this sentence, the speaker chooses to say should decide rather than decided to emphasise their reaction to the decision rather than simply stating that the decision was made.

In French, this use of should generally corresponds to the subjunctive. The subjunctive is a special verb form used to make a non-assertion. English no longer has subjunctive forms of the verb; the nearest equivalent to the subjunctive in English is using other constructions such as should So to translate the above example into French using the subjunctive, we might say:.

How to translate would into French What is the subjunctive? Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment. Download this free 3 step mini course that will teach you how to incorporate frenchness in your every day life. Devoir: Must or Should? Did you know that we use the same verb in French to express must and should? Et oui, only one verb: devoir. More precisely it is conjugation time.

Verbs, tenses, moods. Still following? One verb, two meanings! Can you think of some examples and add them in the comments below? Facebook Comments. Submit a Comment Cancel reply Your email address will not be published. For instance, you'll want to watch out for the masculine noun le devoir, which means "the duty" and les devoirs, which means "homework.

Devoir causes other problems in translation because it can mean should, must, ought to, have to, or supposed to. How do you know which to use when translating the word? The distinction between necessity and probability is not always clear:. To specify "must" rather than "should," add a word like absolument absolutely or vraiment really :. To specify "should" rather than "must," use the conditional mood:. To say that something "should have" happened, use the conditional perfect of devoir plus the infinitive of the other verb:.

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List of Partners vendors. Share Flipboard Email. Table of Contents Expand. The Many Meanings of Devoir. Devoir Conjugated in the Indicative Mood. Devoir Conjugated in the Conditional Mood. Devoir Conjugated in the Subjunctive Mood. Devoir in the Participle Mood. There's No Imperative Mood for Devoir. Devoir Can Be Confusing.