Learn French: Je dois lire ce document. - I have to read this document.

Je dois lire ce document.

I have to read this document.

Breakdown of Je dois lire ce document.

Questions & Answers about Je dois lire ce document.

Could I translate this as "I must read this document" instead of "I have to"?

Yes, absolutely! The verb devoir means both "must" and "to have to". In English, we use these almost interchangeably, and in French, je dois covers them both.

Why is the second verb, "lire" (to read), not conjugated?

In French, when you have two verbs right next to each other, only the first one gets conjugated to match the subject. The second verb stays in its infinitive (dictionary) form. Since dois is already conjugated for Je, lire stays in its full form.

Why is the word for "this" "ce" here?

Ce is the masculine singular form of "this" or "that". We use it here because the noun it points to, document, is masculine. If you were talking about a feminine noun, like a letter (lettre), you would use the feminine form: cette lettre.

Do I pronounce the "s" at the end of "dois"?

No, the final "s" in dois is silent. It is pronounced like "dwah".