On the quiz, I was given Je ________ un jouet! and put voudrais in the blank. It was marked incorrect and veux given as the correct answer. I though you could use either. Why was voudrais wrong?
Look at these examples:
Je veux une glace!
I want an ice cream!
Je voudrais un coca, s'il te plaît.
I would like a coke, please.
Note that to ask for something in French, you could use two forms of the verb vouloir:
je veux (I want) or je voudrais (I would want/like)
Je voudrais is preferable in social contexts such as in a restaurant, as it is more polite and subtle than the blunt je veux (just like in English).
[Note that j'aimerais (I would like) is also very commonly used in more polite contexts.]
Grammar point: Je veux is in Le Présent tense (I want), whereas je voudrais is in Le Conditionnel (I would want/like).
Learn more about these related French grammar topics
Examples and resources
Q&A Forum 11 questions, 26 answers
Hi Melisa,
I suppose the exclamation mark makes it more of a demand than a wish, so 'veux' would be correct.
Hope this helps!
Kwiziq Q&A regular contributor
Hmm, I took the exclamation mark as a mark of excitement at possibly getting a new game.
TriciaKwiziq community member
I had a similar quiz question, and the instructions said to translate the sentence, "I want a toy!" So veux would be correct in that instance.
Melisa asked:View original
Why was voudrais incorrect?
On the quiz, I was given Je ________ un jouet! and put voudrais in the blank. It was marked incorrect and veux given as the correct answer. I though you could use either. Why was voudrais wrong?
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IanKwiziq community member
Je voudrais un tasse de café, mais je ne veux pas des sucre. Est-ce correct ?
Asked 3 months ago
Also, not to be picky but it’s une tasse de café, i believe. Tasse is feminine. And Stuart is right- all indefinite and partitive articles become de in negative sentences. If you did want sugar, it would be je veux du sucre, not des sucre since it’s singular. Hope I’m right. Still struggling here! Someone please correct me if I’m wrong.
StuartKwiziq Q&A regular contributor
Pas de sucre. I believe. No article following pas. Or just ask for un café sans sucre. (No article with sans either.)
Ian asked:View original
Je voudrais un tasse de café, mais je ne veux pas des sucre. Est-ce correct ?
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FrancesKwiziq community member
I chose je voudrais because of the impossibility of being le maitre de l'univers so why would one say je veux?
Asked 6 months ago
Hi Frances,
Not sure of the context of that one, but if it was in a quiz -
and you put yourself into the mind of the megalomaniac who wants to be the Master of the Universe, I think he would use I want rather than I would like...
Frances asked:View original
I chose je voudrais because of the impossibility of being le maitre de l'univers so why would one say je veux?
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ClaudiaKwiziq Q&A regular contributor
Salut a tous
"Je voudrais un coca ... "by the male "Voudrais" sounds different from the female in "Bonjour, je voudrais un coca... "Is it a regional accent?
Asked 9 months ago
Hi Claudia,
No, it is just the way the recording system used sometimes slightly distorts some words...
MichelleKwiziq Q&A regular contributor
It actually sounds like the computer is saying "voudra" (at least to me) which could be a bit confusing because you don't use voudra with je, and obviously voudrai is not pronounced like voudra.
Could you perhaps just remove this clip and put the female computer one in the examples in its place to avoid this confusion?
AurélieKwiziq team member
Bonjour Michelle !
I've now replaced this audio file with a much clearer male voice :)
Bonne journée !
Claudia asked:View original
Salut a tous
"Je voudrais un coca ... "by the male "Voudrais" sounds different from the female in "Bonjour, je voudrais un coca... "Is it a regional accent?
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JoanKwiziq Q&A regular contributor
Can voudrais followed by infinitive verb? For example, Je voudrais nager dans la piscine
Asked 9 months ago
Joan asked:View original
Can voudrais followed by infinitive verb? For example, Je voudrais nager dans la piscine
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MartinKwiziq community member
Bon Jour !! What is the difference between: s'il te plaît -and- s'il vous plaît ?
Asked 1 year ago
Bonjour Martin,
You would say the familiar 's'il te plaît' to someone you say 'tu' to- so children, family members, friends etc...
and the more respectful 's'il vous plaît' to someone you say 'vous' to - so strangers, in shops, to people you don't know very well, or elderly people not part of your family etc...
Hope this helps!
Martin asked:View original
Bon Jour !! What is the difference between: s'il te plaît -and- s'il vous plaît ?
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JohnKwiziq Q&A regular contributor
Je voudrais v j'aimerais
What is the difference in usage between je voudrais and j'aimerais? I have heard elsewhere that j'aimerais is appropriate when asking for something that you might not get or are unlikely to get. Is that correct?
Asked 1 year ago
Hi John,
J'aimerais is simply "I would like...". The emphasis is not so much on getting something but more on liking it.
Je voudrais emphasises that you would like to obtain something, not just liking it.
-- Chris (not a native speaker).
John asked:View original
Je voudrais v j'aimerais
What is the difference in usage between je voudrais and j'aimerais? I have heard elsewhere that j'aimerais is appropriate when asking for something that you might not get or are unlikely to get. Is that correct?
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Although grammatically correct, Vous voudrez une tasse de thé ? will relate to an event in the future, meaning something like, Will you be wanting a cup a tea?
For, Do you want a cup of tea? you will say, Vous voulez une tasse de thé ? (or voulez-vous une...) more than the polite form Voudriez-vous une tasse de thé ? which sounds stilted. But in shops or in the case of any dealings with strangers you will use "je voudrais", not "je veux" which sounds rude in French!
Chris Kwiziq Q&A super contributor
Yes, it is. Although more polite is "voudriez-vous une tasse de thé. "
-- Chris (not a native speaker)
JoanKwiziq Q&A regular contributor
Hi Cécile,
Does it means that the verb 'vouloir' in Le Conditionnel tense, only (je) voudrais means 'would like', the rest (such as voudriez, voudions) means 'will be wanting'?
CécileKwiziq team member
Hi Joan,
It is the difference between,
'Do you want a cup of tea? ' and 'Would you like a cup of tea ? '.
The British (being more polite) would always use 'would' but, 'voulez-vous' is acceptable in French to ask if someone wants a drink....
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Kyaw Kwiziq community member
How can we say ''I want to + infinitive'' in French? Like I want to eat, sleep, go, etc.
Asked 2 years ago
Ron Kwiziq Q&A super contributor
Je voudrais is used to request something politely, i.e je voudrais du thé, svp. whereas je veux is used more among friends, etc. je veux manger. or j'ai faim, on y va manger.
Kyaw asked:View original
How can we say ''I want to + infinitive'' in French? Like I want to eat, sleep, go, etc.
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AdvikaKwiziq community member
So , Je voudrais des fleurs means I would like some flowers ?
Asked 3 years ago
AurélieKwiziq team member
Bonjour Advika !
Yes, it can mean either "I would like some flowers." or "I would like flowers."
À bientôt !
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MeghnaKwiziq Q&A regular contributor
Pronounciation
Is the pronunciation of je voudrais un câlin correct? I hear something at the end of voudrais that doesn't seem correct.
Asked 3 years ago
AurélieKwiziq team member
Bonjour M. !
Yes, I listened to the sentence, and the pronunciation is correct.
À bientôt !
KevKwiziq community member
It sounds like she said "Je voudrais la câlin" ( should be "le"?), not "Je voudrais un câlin". Somehow "the hug" doesn't sound right...
TristanKwiziq community member
Dear Kev
Depending on where someone learns french, the accent can confuse non-native speakers on cetain words. For example some one from Quebec might say "le" but because of their accent it sounds like "la"
--From Tristan the Canadian
Meghna asked:View original
Pronounciation
Is the pronunciation of je voudrais un câlin correct? I hear something at the end of voudrais that doesn't seem correct.
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