Il faut arroser les fleurs.

to be necessary

Breakdown of Il faut arroser les fleurs.

• la fleur: the flower
• arroser: to water

Questions & Answers about Il faut arroser les fleurs.

What does Il faut mean in this sentence?

Il faut is an impersonal expression meaning it’s necessary to, one must or you have to. There is no specific subject (I, you, we, etc.); it simply states a general obligation.

Why is arroser in the infinitive form here?

After il faut, French always uses an infinitive to show what action is required. In effect, il faut + infinitive = it is necessary to + verb. Here, arroser (to water) names the needed action.

Does il faut arroser imply a particular person must water the flowers?

No. Because il faut is impersonal, it doesn’t specify who. English often uses you or one in a similar way (“You have to water the flowers”), but French stays neutral.

Why is it les fleurs instead of des fleurs?

French uses the definite article les when talking about things in general or things already understood by both speaker and listener. Here, it refers to the flowers you know about (e.g., in your garden), not just some flowers.

How would you express I have to water the flowers in French?