Impersonal obligation with il faut
To state a general rule or necessity—like "it is necessary to" or "one must"—French uses the impersonal expression il faut.
It comes from the verb falloir (to be necessary), which is only ever conjugated with il. To state a general rule, simply follow il faut with an infinitive.
| You must follow this sign. | Il faut suivre ce panneau. |
| For safety, you must put on a helmet. | Pour la sécurité, il faut mettre un casque. |
Safety and rules
Il faut is the standard way to give general instructions, such as road safety rules.
| In the car, you must put on your seatbelt. | Dans la voiture, il faut mettre sa ceinture. |
| You must stop at the traffic light. | Il faut s'arrêter au feu. |
| You must slow down and be careful. | Il faut ralentir et être prudent. |
Asking what must be done
You can also use il faut in questions to ask about general requirements.
| Where must we stop? | Où est-ce qu'il faut s'arrêter ? |
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