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Nous devons partir maintenant.

Nous devons partir maintenant.
We must leave now.
FromLesson 5inHardcore French

Breakdown of Nous devons partir maintenant.

nous
we
maintenant
now
partir
to leave
devoir
must

Questions & Answers about Nous devons partir maintenant.

How do I pronounce devons in this sentence?
In French, devons is pronounced somewhat like “duh-vohn,” with the vowel sound in the second syllable nasalized (like on in French). The s at the end is silent.
Why is partir in the infinitive form after devons?
Devoir is always followed by an infinitive when it expresses obligation. So when you say nous devons partir, the main verb devoir (conjugated as devons) requires the next verb (partir) to remain in its infinitive form.
What is the difference between saying nous devons partir and il faut partir?
Both mean that leaving is necessary. Nous devons partir literally means "We must leave," emphasizing that we specifically have to do it. Il faut partir is more impersonal and translates to something like "It is necessary to leave" or "We have to leave" without directly highlighting who must go.
Can I replace nous with on in everyday French?
Yes! In spoken and informal French, it is very common to use on instead of nous. For instance, you might hear On doit partir maintenant instead of Nous devons partir maintenant. They both convey the same meaning, but nous is more formal.
Why is maintenant placed at the end of the sentence?
In French, adverbs of time like maintenant (meaning “now”) can appear at the beginning or the end of the sentence. Having it at the end emphasizes the immediacy of the action. You could also say Maintenant, nous devons partir, but Nous devons partir maintenant sounds more natural in everyday conversation.
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“How does grammatical gender work in French?”
Every French noun is either masculine or feminine, and this affects the articles and adjectives used with it. "Le" is used with masculine nouns and "la" with feminine ones. Adjectives also change form to match — for example, "petit" (masc.) becomes "petite" (fem.).

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