Je dois étudier le français.

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Breakdown of Je dois étudier le français.

• étudier: to study
• le français: the French
• devoir: to have to

Questions & Answers about Je dois étudier le français.

What does the verb dois signify in the sentence Je dois étudier le français?

The verb dois is the first-person singular present form of devoir. It expresses obligation or necessity, meaning “must” or “have to”—indicating that the speaker is required to study French.

Why is the verb étudier in its infinitive form after dois?

In French, when a modal verb like devoir is used to express an obligation, the main action verb that follows is kept in the infinitive. This construction shows that the action (studying) is what is required.

Why is there a definite article le before français?

In French, the names of languages are usually preceded by a definite article. So instead of saying just français, the language is referred to as le français—this is the standard form when naming a language.

What is the structure of the sentence Je dois étudier le français?

The sentence follows the structure: subject + modal verb + infinitive + object. It starts with the subject je, followed by the modal verb dois, then the infinitive étudier, and finally the object le français. This structure is common in French for indicating obligations.

How is devoir conjugated for different subjects in the present tense?

In this sentence, devoir is conjugated as dois for je. Other forms include tu dois for “you” (informal singular), il/elle/on doit for “he/she/one,” nous devons for “we,” vous devez for “you” (formal or plural), and ils/elles doivent for “they.”