Breakdown of Tu dois lire la note avant de partir.
tu
you
lire
to read
avant
before
de
of
partir
to leave
devoir
to have to
la note
the note
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Questions & Answers about Tu dois lire la note avant de partir.
What does dois mean in this sentence?
Dois is the 2nd person singular present tense of the verb devoir, meaning must or have to. It expresses that you are obliged to read the note.
Why is the present tense used here instead of the imperative?
Using tu dois + infinitive indicates an obligation or necessity (“you have to read”), whereas the imperative (e.g. Lis la note) gives a direct command. The present of devoir is softer or more advisory than an order.
Why is it la note and not une note?
French uses the definite article la when referring to something specific or already known to both speaker and listener. Une note would refer to any note in general, not a particular one.
Why is there de before partir (i.e. avant de partir)?
When a preposition like avant is directly followed by a verb, French requires de + infinitive. You must say avant de partir, not avant partir.
What’s the difference between avant de + infinitive and avant que + subjunctive?
Use avant de + infinitive when the same subject performs both actions (e.g. avant de partir, je ferme la porte). Use avant que + subjunctive when the subjects differ (e.g. avant qu’il parte, je veux lui parler).
Can I replace la note with a pronoun, and where should it go?
Yes. Replace la note with the direct object pronoun la, which goes before the infinitive: Tu dois la lire avant de partir.