In English, we often soften advice by saying "you should" instead of the demanding "you must". In French, use the conditional form of the verb devoir (to have to / must).
Giving Advice: Tu devrais and Vous devriez
Devoir has an irregular conditional stem: devr-. Add the standard imperfect endings to this stem to create the forms for "should" or "ought to":
| Pronoun | Devoir (should) |
|---|---|
| je | je devrais |
| tu | tu devrais |
| il / elle / on | il devrait |
| nous | nous devrions |
| vous | vous devriez |
| ils / elles | ils devraient |
When giving advice directly to someone, you will most often use tu devrais (informal/singular) or vous devriez (formal/plural), followed by an infinitive verb.
| You should respect the customs of the country. | Tu devrais respecter les coutumes du pays. |
| You should greet the boss first. | Tu devrais d'abord saluer le chef. |
| You should greet this friend with a kiss on the cheek. | Vous devriez faire la bise à cet ami. |
Navigating Manners and Etiquette
Use these forms to warn someone about a gesture (un geste) that might be impolite (impoli) in a different culture:
| You should pay attention, it is impolite. | Tu devrais faire attention, c'est impoli. |
| You should avoid this gesture in this country. | Vous devriez éviter ce geste dans ce pays. |
You can also suggest what someone ought to leave (laisser), like a tip (un pourboire), or how they ought to behave (se comporter) to respect local traditions:
| You should leave your shoes outside. | Tu devrais laisser tes chaussures dehors. |
| You should leave a tip on the table. | Vous devriez laisser un pourboire sur la table. |
| You should behave well at the restaurant. | Tu devrais bien te comporter au restaurant. |
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