Log inSign up

Ils doivent envoyer un message au chef.

Ils doivent envoyer un message au chef.
They have to send a message to the boss.
From Lesson 55:Obligation (devoir)·French

Questions & Answers about Ils doivent envoyer un message au chef.

Why is the verb spelled doivent and how do you pronounce it?
doivent is the 'they' form (ils or elles) of the verb devoir (must / to have to). Like most regular verbs in the 'they' form, the -ent at the very end is completely silent! You pronounce it to rhyme with 'suave' or 'dwahv'.
Why is envoyer left in its full dictionary form instead of being conjugated?
When you use two verbs back-to-back, only the first one is conjugated. doivent is conjugated to match the subject ils, so the second verb envoyer stays in the infinitive (dictionary) form. It literally translates to 'to send'.
Why does the sentence use au chef instead of à le chef?
In French, you can never say à le. When the word à (to) comes right before the masculine word le (the), they always combine to form the new word au. Because chef is a masculine noun, 'to the boss' must be au chef.
Does the word chef only mean a cook in French?
Not at all! In English, we borrowed the word 'chef' specifically to mean a head cook. But in French, chef is a general word that just means 'boss', 'leader', or 'chief' in any workplace or situation.

Learn Ils doivent envoyer un message au chef and more in French

All course content and exercises are completely free — no paywalls, no trial periods, no signup needed.

  • ✓ Practice with interactive exercises
  • ✓ Track your progress with spaced repetition
  • ✓Learn at your own pace — completely free
Start learning French →