le devoir

Definition & meaning

Devoir has several closely related meanings, depending on whether it is used as a verb or a noun.

As a verb, devoir commonly means:

• Must / have to: to express obligation or necessity.
  Je dois partir means “I have to leave.”
• Ought to / should: to express advice or a moral obligation.
  Tu devrais te reposer means “You should rest.”
• Owe: to be indebted to someone or to owe something.
  Je lui dois de l’argent means “I owe him or her money.”
• Be due to / be expected to: to describe something anticipated or likely.
  Le train doit arriver à midi means “The train is due to arrive at noon.”

As a noun, un devoir can mean:

• A duty or obligation, including a moral or civic responsibility.
• Homework or a school assignment; the plural often refers to schoolwork.
• A test or written assignment, in some educational contexts.

Grammar & Word origin

As a verb, devoir is an irregular, third-group verb. It is usually followed by an infinitive when it expresses obligation or expectation: devoir partir (“to have to leave”). Its common present-tense forms include je dois, tu dois, il/elle doit, and nous devons. The conditional form devrais often conveys “should.”

As a noun, it is masculine: un devoir; the plural is des devoirs. The meaning “homework” is especially common in the plural.

The verb and noun come from Latin dēbēre, meaning “to owe” or “to be under an obligation.” The sense of obligation developed from the idea of owing something.

Synonyms & antonyms

Synonyms depend on the intended meaning:

• For having to or being obliged to: falloir ↗ expresses necessity, often impersonally; être obligé de ↗ emphasizes being compelled or required.
• For owing: être redevable de ↗ emphasizes being indebted or obligated to someone.
• For a duty: obligation ↗ is a more formal or general term; responsabilité ↗ emphasizes accountability.
• For homework or an assignment: travail ↗ is broader and can refer to work of many kinds; exercice ↗ usually means a specific practice task.

There is no single antonym for all meanings. In the sense of having to, pouvoir ↗ (“to be able to,” and sometimes “may”) can contrast with obligation, while être dispensé de ↗ means “to be exempt from.” In the noun sense of a duty, loisir [?](vocabuo://word/loisir] (“leisure”) can provide a contrast, though it is not a direct antonym.

Common phrases & collocations

• devoir faire quelque chose ↗ — to have to do something.
• devoir de l’argent à quelqu’un ↗ — to owe someone money.
• faire ses devoirs ↗ — to do one’s homework.
• un devoir moral ↗ — a moral duty.
• devoir quelque chose à quelqu’un ↗ — to owe something to someone.