Exprimer l’Obligation et le Conseil — il faut, devoir, tu devrais | French Grammar
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must, should, it’s better to — giving advice. This guide explains Exprimer l’Obligation et le Conseil in French with clear rules, real examples and practice for every CEFR level. For instance: « strong, general » — Il faut réserver.
Exprimer l’Obligation et le Conseil
must, should, it’s better to — giving advice
1. L’obligation
| Structure | Force | Exemple |
|---|---|---|
| il faut + inf | strong, general | Il faut réserver. |
| il faut que + SUBJ | strong, personal | Il faut que tu partes. |
| devoir + inf | must / have to | Je dois travailler. |
| il est obligatoire de + inf | formal | Il est obligatoire de valider son billet. |
2. Le conseil
| Structure | Nuance | Exemple |
|---|---|---|
| devrais (conditionnel) | you should | Tu devrais te reposer. |
| il faudrait + inf | it would be good to | Il faudrait revoir ce point. |
| il vaut mieux + inf | it’s better to | Il vaut mieux arriver tôt. |
| pourquoi ne pas + inf | why not…? | Pourquoi ne pas essayer ? |
3. Du plus fort au plus doux (politeness = softer verb)
| Fort → doux | Exemple |
|---|---|
| Tu dois (must) | Tu dois partir. |
| Il faudrait (should, softened) | Il faudrait partir. |
| Tu pourrais (you could) | Tu pourrais partir plus tôt ? |
💡 Les clés à retenir
Il faut que ALWAYS takes the subjonctif: « il faut que je fasse mes devoirs ».
For advice, the conditionnel is your friend: tu devrais, il faudrait, tu pourrais — much softer than the present.
Negative obligation: « il ne faut pas » = you MUST NOT (not “you don’t have to”). For “no need to”, use « tu n’as pas besoin de ».
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🔊 Example sentences
✍️ Practice
il faut que je ___ (faire) attention (subjunctive!)
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fasse
you should rest = tu ___ te reposer (conditionnel of devoir)
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devrais
it’s better to wait = il ___ mieux attendre (fixed structure)
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vaut
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🎯 More practice — translation — put it into French
Translate into French: « You need to go to the doctor. » (translation)
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Il faut que tu ailles chez le médecin.
Translate into French: « You should sleep more. » (translation)
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Tu devrais dormir plus.
Translate into French: « It’s better to say nothing. » (translation)
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Il vaut mieux ne rien dire.
Go further: Your first French conversation — the 4 moves.
Exprimer l’Obligation et le Conseil in French — FAQ
How do you use Exprimer l’Obligation et le Conseil in French?
must, should, it’s better to — giving advice. Follow the rules and patterns in the lesson above, and practise with real sentences like « strong, general » (Il faut réserver).
Can you give an example of Exprimer l’Obligation et le Conseil in French?
Yes — « strong, general » means « Il faut réserver », and « strong, personal » means « Il faut que tu partes ». The lesson above has many more examples with explanations.
What CEFR level is Exprimer l’Obligation et le Conseil?
This topic is introduced around B1 and refined at higher levels — pick your level from the links at the top of the page. You can also drill it with the interactive exercises and games below.
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5 quick questions on « Exprimer l’Obligation et le Conseil » — guess before the reveal. Practise with the free games → Open this short as a page — transcript included →