Conseils avec Devrais (Advice with Devrais)

What You'll LearnHow to give advice and make suggestions using 'should'.How to form the verb devoir (to have to/must) [duh-VWAHR] in the present conditional tense.How to respond to a problem with a helpful suggestion in French.Imagine this situation: your friend got a bad grade on their French exam. 😟 They ask you for help. What could you say? This is where knowing how to say 'should' — devrais [duh-VREH] — becomes super useful!Real-World ApplicationsAdvising a friend who has a problem.Suggesting a movie or restaurant to your family.Recommending strategies for a school project.

To give advice in French, we use the verb devoir (to have to/must) [duh-VWAHR] in a special form called the present conditional. Here are some useful action words you can use after it.French WordWhat it MeansExample of Adviceétudier (to study) [ay-too-dee-AY]To studyTu devrais étudier (You should study) [too duh-VREH ay-too-dee-AY] plus pour ton examen (more for your exam). 📚parler (to talk/speak) [par-LAY]To talk or speakIl devrait parler (He should talk) [eel duh-VREH par-LAY] au professeur (to the teacher).se reposer (to rest) [suh ruh-poh-ZAY]To restElle est fatiguée (She is tired), elle devrait se reposer (she should rest) [ell duh-VREH suh ruh-poh-ZAY]. 😴manger (to eat) [mahn-ZHAY]To eatNous devrions manger (We should eat) [noo duh-vree-OHN mahn-ZHAY] des légumes (some vegetables)....

Pattern 1: How to Form 'Should' with the Verb DevoirThe verb devoir (to have to/must) [duh-VWAHR] is irregular, but it follows a simple pattern to mean 'should'. The base is devr- [dev-r] and you just add these endings: -ais, -ais, -ait, -ions, -iez, -aient.Je devrais (I should) [zhuh duh-VREH]Tu devrais (You should) [too duh-VREH]Il/Elle/On devrait (He/She/One should) [eel/ell/ohn duh-VREH]Nous devrions (We should) [noo duh-vree-OHN]Vous devriez (You should) [voo duh-vree-AY]Ils/Elles devraient (They should) [eel/ell duh-VREH]Pattern 2: Sentence Structure for Giving AdviceThe recipe for giving advice is simple and direct.Subject + 'devoir' (the 'should' form) + action verb (infinitive)Example: Tu (You) + devrais (should) + manger (to eat) une pomme (an apple).