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Je dois remplir le formulaire.

Je dois remplir le formulaire.
I must fill out the form.
FromLesson 27inHardcore French

Breakdown of Je dois remplir le formulaire.

je
I
devoir
must
remplir
to fill out
le formulaire
the form

Questions & Answers about Je dois remplir le formulaire.

What does the verb in bold, devoir, mean here—“must” or “have to”?
Je dois means “I must/I have to.” In everyday French, devoir + infinitive covers both. For softer advice (“I should”), use the conditional: Je devrais remplir le formulaire.
How do you conjugate devoir in the present?
  • je dois
  • tu dois
  • il/elle/on doit
  • nous devons
  • vous devez
  • ils/elles doivent Pronunciation note: dois/doit [dwa], devons [dəvɔ̃], devez [dəve], doivent [dwav].
How is Je dois remplir le formulaire different from Il faut remplir le formulaire and Il faut que je remplisse le formulaire?
  • Je dois… personal obligation (I’m the one obligated).
  • Il faut remplir… general/impersonal requirement (“one/people must…”).
  • Il faut que je remplisse… personalized necessity; uses the subjunctive remplisse. In speech you’ll often hear: Faut que je remplisse….
Is remplir the right verb for filling out a form? What about compléter or renseigner?

Yes. Remplir un formulaire is standard. You’ll also hear:

  • compléter un formulaire = complete a form.
  • renseigner un formulaire / ses coordonnées sur un formulaire = fill in details. All are fine; remplir is the safest default.
Why is it le formulaire and not un formulaire?
  • le formulaire = a specific form both speaker and listener have in mind.
  • un formulaire = any form, not yet identified. Examples: Je dois remplir un formulaire pour m’inscrire. / Je dois remplir le formulaire que tu m’as envoyé.
How do I say “I don’t have to fill out the form”?

Avoid Je ne dois pas… (that means “I must not,” i.e., prohibition). Use:

  • Je n’ai pas besoin de remplir le formulaire.
  • Je ne suis pas obligé de remplir le formulaire. (fem.: obligée) Informal: J’ai pas besoin de…
Where does the object pronoun go in “I have to fill it out”?

Before the infinitive:

How do I ask “Do I have to fill out the form?”
Any pronunciation tips for the sentence?
  • Je ≈ [ʒə] (often reduced).
  • dois: final s silent → [dwa].
  • remplir: nasal em → [ʁɑ̃pliʁ]; pronounce the final r.
  • formulaire: [fɔʁ.my.lɛʁ]. No liaison between dois and remplir (next word starts with a consonant).
How do I say “I had to / I will have to / I’m going to have to fill out the form”?
  • Past (one-time): J’ai dû remplir le formulaire.
  • Past (ongoing/was supposed to): Je devais remplir le formulaire.
  • Future: Je devrai remplir le formulaire.
  • Near future: Je vais devoir remplir le formulaire. Note the circumflex in dû and the spelling je devrai (not “je devra i”).
How do I give a command like “Fill out the form!”?
  • Informal singular: Remplis le formulaire !
  • Polite/plural: Remplissez le formulaire ! Negative: Ne le remplis pas ! / Ne le remplissez pas !
Can I avoid repeating “formulaire” with pronouns like en or y?
  • en replaces “of it/them” or an indefinite quantity: Je dois en remplir un. (“I have to fill out one [of them].”)
  • y replaces a place or à + thing: Je dois y remplir un formulaire. (“I have to fill out a form there.”) To replace a specific “the form,” use le: Je dois le remplir.
Does devoir ever mean “to owe”?

Yes. devoir = “to owe” with a direct object:

  • Je dois 20 € à la banque. (“I owe 20 euros to the bank.”) Don’t say Je dois le formulaire to mean “I owe the form”—that doesn’t make sense.
Any pitfalls with remplir and prepositions?
  • Use direct object for forms: remplir un formulaire.
  • remplir de + noun means “fill [container] with [stuff]”: remplir un verre d’eau. For content on a form, prefer: renseigner/indiquer ses informations sur le formulaire or just remplir le formulaire.
What’s the gender and basic determiners for formulaire?

Masculine noun:

  • this/that: ce formulaire
  • the form: le formulaire
  • a form / forms: un formulaire / des formulaires Plural: les formulaires. Example: Je dois remplir ces formulaires.
Is there a more casual way to say it?

In speech you may hear contractions or alternatives:

  • J’dois remplir le formulaire. (colloquial contraction)
  • Faut que je remplisse le formulaire. (very common in conversation)
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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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