2

First sentence:

On a besoin d'apprendre les mots parce qu'ils sont très important.

Second sentence:

On doit apprendre les mots parce qu'ils sont très important.

I am a bit confused because in English both "need to" and "must" would work in this context. I was wondering if this is also the case in French?

Improve this question
8
  • 4
    They do not mean the same in English, and so don't they in French: see What's the difference between "avoir besoin de" and "devoir"
    – jlliagre
    May 21, 2018 at 11:40
  • 1
    Side question: should it be "importants" here, in this post? Do adjectives agree when they're later in the sentence rather than directly attached to the noun?
    – temporary_user_name
    May 21, 2018 at 15:06
  • @Aerovistae Quite right - it should agree.
    – Luke Sawczak ♦
    May 24, 2018 at 12:34
  • @jlliagre Which English translations do you have in mind? Need to vs. have to? I would say they're the same in this context - which is probably why they've led to mistakenly thinking the French is also the same. I'm actually hesitant about "avoir besoin de" at all in this context!
    – Luke Sawczak ♦
    May 24, 2018 at 12:38
  • @LukeSawczak I was thinking about we need to vs we must. While they are very close in this context, I still believe they are not strictly equivalent. Avoir besoin is about usefulness while devoir is about something imposed (even if self-imposed). Both of the OP sentences might be heard in French.
    – jlliagre
    May 24, 2018 at 13:13

1 Answer 1

Reset to default
2

In this context, I would consider both sentences as equivalent. They both carry the idea that "apprendre les mots" is an obligation and the slight difference in meaning is not important here.

Improve this answer

Your Answer

By clicking “Post Your Answer”, you agree to our terms of service, privacy policy and cookie policy

Not the answer you're looking for? Browse other questions tagged or ask your own question.