French · Everyday Verbs
"to want" in French: vouloir
vouloir
To want in French is vouloir. Present forms include je veux, tu veux, il/elle veut, nous voulons, vous voulez, ils veulent. Je voudrais is the polite I'd like you hear in shops.
Choosing a film
Tu veux regarder un film ou sortir ?Speak with an AI partner · 7 days free
How to pronounce vouloir
Say it
voo-LWAR
/vu.lwaʁ/
Vouloir is voo-LWAR. Veux and veut sound like vuh. Voulons is voo-LOHN. Veulent is roughly VUH-luh.
"to want" in French: quick reference
| French | English | When to use |
|---|---|---|
| vouloir | to want Infinitive. | Infinitive. |
| je veux / tu veux / il veut | I want / you want / he-she wants Direct present forms. | Direct present forms. |
| je voudrais | I would like Polite request form. | Polite request form. |
| vouloir dire | to mean Qu'est-ce que ça veut dire ? | Qu'est-ce que ça veut dire ? |
How to use vouloir in real life
- 1Choosing a film
Tu veux regarder un film ou sortir ?
Do you want to watch a film or go out?
Tu veux + infinitive.
- 2At a bakery
Je voudrais deux pains au chocolat, s'il vous plaît.
I'd like two chocolate croissants, please.
Voudrais softens the request.
- 3Group decision
Nous voulons arriver avant vingt heures.
We want to arrive before eight p.m.
Voulons is the nous present form.
Mistakes English speakers make with vouloir
Incorrect: Je vouloir un café.
Correct: Je veux un café. / Je voudrais un café.
Conjugate vouloir; do not leave the infinitive after je.
Incorrect: Tu veux un thé ? (to a stranger, bluntly)
Correct: Vous voulez un thé ? / Vous voudiez un thé ?
With strangers, vous voulez or voudrais forms sound more polite than bare tu veux.
Good to know
In shops, je voudrais or je vais prendre often replaces raw je veux, which can sound abrupt. Among friends, tu veux ? is completely normal.
Try it in a ChatPal conversation
Deciding on dinner
ChatPal
Tu veux des pâtes ou une salade ?
Do you want pasta or a salad?
You
Je veux des pâtes, j'ai vraiment faim.
I want pasta; I'm really hungry.
ChatPal
Moi, je veux la même chose.
I want the same thing.
You
Parfait, on se met en cuisine.
Perfect, let's get cooking.
This is a sample. In ChatPal you have this conversation out loud and get feedback on what you say.
Practice this conversation in ChatPal"to want" in other languages
FAQ
Common questions about "to want" in French
What is the difference between je veux and je voudrais?
Je veux is direct I want. Je voudrais is softer, like I'd like, and fits better with strangers.
How do I conjugate vouloir in the present?
Je veux, tu veux, il/elle veut, nous voulons, vous voulez, ils/elles veulent.
What does ça veut dire mean?
What does that mean? from vouloir dire.
How do you pronounce veux?
Roughly vuh, one syllable.
Learn a word, then use it out loud
- Step 1: See it in context
- Step 2: Say it out loud
- Step 3: Get feedback
- Step 4: Use it in real scenarios
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