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How to Say ‘You should have’ in French

Vous auriez dû

voo o-ree-ay dew

[voo o-ree-ay dew]

🇫🇷 In France: [Vous auriez dû...] is understandable, but it can sound accusatory because you are telling someone what they should have done. In a tense taxi dispute, a softer lead-in like [Vous auriez dû me prévenir] is better than saying it alone.

Phrase Breakdown

Vous auriez

voo o-ree-ay

Words in this phrase

Vous

[voo]

You

The person or people being addressed.

Example

Vous avez un rendez-vous.

You have an appointment.

auriez

[o-ree-ay]

would have

Conditional tense indicating the likelihood of action.

Example

Vous auriez pu venir.

You could have come.

dû

[dew]

had to

Necessity or obligation in the past.

Example

Vous auriez dû prévenir.

You should have warned.

Guides for French learners

The Best App to Learn French: An Honest ComparisonDuolingo, Babbel, Pimsleur, Busuu, italki and PrettyFluent compared for learning French: what each is best at, how you pay, and which fits your goal.French Conversation for Beginners: 5 Everyday Dialogues You'll Actually UseFive short French conversations for beginners, from greeting a neighbour to booking a restaurant, with translations, native audio and the phrases that keep them going.

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