How do you say "It must be" in French?

"It must be" in French is "Ça doit être". This phrase is commonly used in France.

🔒✅

How to Say ‘It must be’ in French

Q: What does "Ça doit être" mean in English?

"Ça doit être" means "It must be" in English. Usage tip: [Devoir] plus another verb often means "must" or "is probably going to," as in [ça doit être drôle] = "that must be fun." You can reuse the pattern with other verbs: [ça doit marcher] = "that should work / it must work."

Ça doit être

sah dwah ETR

[sah dwah ETR]

💬 Usage Tip: [Devoir] plus another verb often means "must" or "is probably going to," as in [ça doit être drôle] = "that must be fun." You can reuse the pattern with other verbs: [ça doit marcher] = "that should work / it must work."

Phrase Breakdown

Ça

[sah]

that; it; this

Pronoun often used as the subject of a sentence: “That/It…”

Example

Ça doit être un bon seinen, vu les critiques.

It must be a good seinen, judging by the reviews.

doit

[dwah]

must; has to

Form of **devoir** expressing deduction/obligation: *ça doit…* = “it must…”

Example

Ça doit être un shōnen, il y a beaucoup de combats.

It must be a shōnen; there are lots of fights.

être

[ETR]

to be

Infinitive **être** used after **doit**: *doit être* = “must be.”

Example

Ça doit être intéressant si tu aimes les thrillers.

It must be interesting if you like thrillers.

Guides for French learners

“Do You Speak English?” in French, and What to Say When You Don't Speak FrenchHow to say “do you speak English?” in French politely, what you'll hear back, and the phrases for “I don't speak French” and “can you repeat that?”, with audio.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.

Get the Full Learning Experience

This lesson is just a preview. Download PrettyFluent to practice pronunciation, roleplay conversations, and master vocabulary with spaced repetition.

Pronunciation Feedback

AI-powered speech recognition to perfect your accent

Spaced Repetition

Retain vocabulary long-term with smart practice

Immersive Roleplaying

Practice real conversations with AI partners

Custom Scenarios

Request lessons tailored to your specific needs

Get Full Lesson

What Learners Are Saying

“Moved to Lyon for a culinary apprenticeship. The food and restaurant scenarios were exactly what I needed — my French colleagues were genuinely impressed.”

Tom H., 38, Chef

“Studying in Paris and the academic French I learned in school was useless for daily life. This app filled the gap in weeks, not months.”

Nina W., 29, Graduate Student

“Learning a language has never been as immediately impactful. Now I can charm the locals and navigate the food scene like a boss.”

Alex M., 42, Software Engineer