Common mistakes
Je devais or j’ai dû: four past-tense mistakes to untangle
Compare past obligations, planned meetings and “must have” in French. Four devoir contrasts, a short exchange and a quiz make the meanings concrete.
- B1
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In short
Je devais can give a past requirement or plan; j’ai dû can tell what became necessary in one episode. Il a dû oublier means “he must have forgotten”: here devoir expresses a conclusion about the past.
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- Je devais répondre avant midi.Proof that the reply was sentI had to reply before noon.
Je devais répondre avant midi, mais j’ai oublié.I had to reply before noon, but I forgot.
The requirement is the background. Add the result separately: mais j’ai oublié or et j’ai répondu à onze heures.
- Nous devions nous retrouver.We definitely metWe were supposed to meet.
Nous devions nous retrouver lundi, mais Léa a annulé.We were supposed to meet on Monday, but Léa cancelled.
Here devions presents the arrangement. The next clause tells you that the meeting was cancelled.
- J’ai dû recommencer.I should have started againI had to start again.
Mon premier essai était trop court. J’ai dû recommencer.My first attempt was too short. I had to start again.
The speaker describes a necessity in that episode. For a later judgement about the better choice, use j’aurais dû recommencer.
- Il a dû oublier.He was obliged to forgetHe must have forgotten.
Paul ne répond pas. Il a dû oublier notre rendez-vous.Paul isn’t replying. He must have forgotten our appointment.
The speaker is offering a likely explanation. The context gives devoir its inference meaning.
What is the difference between je devais and j’ai dû?
| French | Meaning here | English |
|---|---|---|
| Il a dû attendre : personne n’était disponible. | Necessity | He had to wait: nobody was available. |
| Il a dû se tromper : les deux réponses sont différentes. | Inference | He must have made a mistake: the two answers are different. |
| Elle devait arriver à neuf heures, d’après son message. | Expected arrangement | She was due to arrive at nine, according to her message. |
- Léa
Tu as terminé ?
Have you finished?
- Samir
Oui, mais j’ai dû recommencer. La première version était trop courte.
Yes, but I had to start again. The first version was too short.
- Léa
Tu devais l’envoyer ce matin, non ?
You were supposed to send it this morning, weren’t you?
- Samir
Oui. J’ai prévenu Paul, et il m’a dit de l’envoyer demain.
Yes. I let Paul know, and he told me to send it tomorrow.
How do you say “didn’t have to” in French?
Je n’ai pas eu besoin de répondre : Léa s’en est chargée.
I didn’t need to reply: Léa took care of it.
Ne pas avoir besoin de clearly expresses lack of necessity.
Il n’a pas dû lire mon message.
He probably didn’t read my message.
In this inference reading, n’a pas dû gives a probable explanation.
Write dû with its circumflex. In these devoir + infinitive examples, it stays unchanged: elles ont dû attendre. Keep the next verb in the infinitive, even when the first verb is in the passé composé.