français · A1 · verb · 4 minutes
Vouloir in the present
State wants, offer choices, and make requests at different politeness levels.
Understand the choice
Vouloir + noun or infinitive expresses desire and intention. Je veux is direct and normal in close contexts; je voudrais or je prendrais often sounds more courteous when ordering from a stranger.
Core rule: The present of vouloir is veux, veux, veut, voulons, voulez, veulent.
Notice it in context
Je veux me reposer, mais nous voulons finir d’abord.
I want to rest, but we want to finish first.
Veux is the singular speaker’s form; voulons restores the pronounced stem vowel in the nous form.
Tu veux venir avec moi ?
Do you want to come with me?
Veux + infinitive states the desired action.
Ils veulent une table près de la fenêtre.
They want a table near the window.
Veulent agrees with the plural subject and takes a noun object.
What to remember
- The final x in veux and t in veut are normally silent.
- Veuillez + infinitive is a formal instruction seen in notices and professional writing.
Common trap: Do not use je veux mechanically in every service interaction. It is grammatical, but je voudrais is often the better social choice with an unfamiliar server or clerk.