Log inSign up

Vous devez étudier la technique.

Vous devez étudier la technique.
You must study the technique.
From Lesson 95:Adverbs of manner (-ment)·French

Questions & Answers about Vous devez étudier la technique.

Why is étudier not conjugated here?
When two verbs are used together, the second verb usually stays in its infinitive (dictionary) form. Because the first verb devez (must/have to) is already conjugated to match Vous, the second verb étudier stays as an infinitive.
Can devez also mean 'have to'?
Yes! The French verb devoir translates to both 'must' and 'to have to'. So, Vous devez étudier can mean 'You must study' or 'You have to study'. French doesn't make a distinction between the two here.
Is there a liaison between devez and étudier?
Yes! Because devez ends in a consonant (the letter z) and étudier starts with a vowel sound, you pronounce them together. It sounds like devez-z-étudier. This is a common liaison that helps the sentence flow smoothly.
How do we know technique is feminine?
The word uses the feminine article la. As a helpful tip for other words, many French nouns that end in -ique are feminine. It is also a 'true cognate', meaning it looks and means the exact same thing as it does in English!

Learn Vous devez étudier la technique 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 →