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Tu dois t’arrêter au coin de la rue.

Tu dois t’arrêter au coin de la rue.
You must stop at the corner of the street.
FromLesson 21inHardcore French

Questions & Answers about Tu dois t’arrêter au coin de la rue.

What does the reflexive pronoun t’ in t’arrêter mean?

It’s the reflexive form of te (yourself). S’arrêter means “to stop (oneself),” i.e., to stop moving. Without the reflexive pronoun, arrêter means “to stop something/someone” (or “to arrest”).

  • Tu dois t’arrêter. = You must stop (yourself).
  • Tu dois arrêter la voiture. = You must stop the car.
  • La police a arrêté le voleur. = The police arrested the thief.
Why is it t’arrêter and not t’arrêtes?

Because devoir is a modal verb, and the verb that follows stays in the infinitive. Pattern: subject + conjugated devoir + infinitive.

  • Tu dois t’arrêter. (must + stop)
  • Compare with a simple present: Tu t’arrêtes au coin de la rue. (You stop at the street corner.)
Where does the reflexive pronoun go when devoir is used?

It attaches to the infinitive, not to devoir:

  • Correct: Tu dois t’arrêter. / Je dois me lever. / Il doit se coucher.
  • Not: ✗ Tu te dois arrêter.
Is tu dois the same as il faut?

Both express necessity, but:

When do I use vous instead of tu?

Use vous for formality or when speaking to more than one person:

How do I say it as a direct command?

Use the imperative of s’arrêter:

  • Affirmative: Arrête-toi au coin de la rue. / Arrêtez-vous au coin de la rue.
  • Negative: Ne t’arrête pas au coin de la rue. / Ne vous arrêtez pas… Note: In the affirmative imperative, the pronoun goes after the verb with a hyphen; in the negative, it goes before.
How do I say “You should stop …” instead of “You must stop …”?

Use the conditional of devoir (advice):

How do I put this in different tenses?
  • Future obligation: Tu devras t’arrêter au coin de la rue.
  • Past (had to): Tu as dû t’arrêter au coin de la rue.
  • Ongoing past: Tu devais t’arrêter au coin de la rue.
  • Regret (“should have”): Tu aurais dû t’arrêter au coin de la rue.
How do I negate it?

Wrap ne … pas around devoir, and keep the reflexive with the infinitive:

  • Tu ne dois pas t’arrêter au coin de la rue. In everyday speech, the ne is often dropped: Tu dois pas t’arrêter…
How do I turn it into a question?

Three common ways:

Why is it au coin de la rue and not à le coin?

Because au = à + le. Coin is masculine, so “at the corner” is au coin. Then “of the street” is de la rue since rue is feminine:

  • au coin de la rue = at the corner of the street.
Are there other natural ways to say “at the street corner”?

Yes:

  • À l’angle de la rue (at the angle/corner of the street; also common with two streets: à l’angle de X et Y).
  • Au carrefour (at the intersection).
  • Au bout de la rue (at the end of the street; different meaning). Note: Dans le coin means “in the area/around here,” not literally at the corner.
Can I replace “at the corner of the street” with a pronoun?

Yes, use y (there):

Any pronunciation tips for this sentence?
  • Tu = [ty] (front rounded “u,” not “too”).
  • dois = [dwa] (final -s silent).
  • t’arrêter ≈ “tar-ray-tay” ([ta-ʁe-te]); the apostrophe shows elision of te → t’.
  • coin = [kwɛ̃] (nasal vowel; don’t fully pronounce the “n”).
  • rue = [ʁy] (French “r” in the throat; “u” like German “ü”).
Why are there accents in arrêter?
The two acute accents (é) mark a closed “ay” sound. They’re part of the standard spelling and pronunciation: arrêter ≈ “a-ray-tay.” Writing arreter is incorrect.
Could I say Tu dois arrêter au coin de la rue without the reflexive?

Not to mean “stop (yourself).” Without the reflexive, you need an object:

  • Tu dois arrêter la voiture au coin de la rue. (stop the car) To mean you stop moving, keep the reflexive: Tu dois t’arrêter…
Can I move the place phrase to the front?

Yes, it’s natural:

  • Au coin de la rue, tu dois t’arrêter. (adds a bit of emphasis on the location)
What’s the full present tense of devoir?
  • je dois, tu dois, il/elle doit, nous devons, vous devez, ils/elles doivent.
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