You’ve seen that the verb devoir can mean should, must, or to have to. These meanings are all pretty similar. But devoir can also mean to owe. If you think about it, a debt is just another kind of obligation—a financial one.
Tu dois trois dollars à Paul.
You owe three dollars to Paul. (You should three dollars doesn’t make any sense!)
Elise gets a summer job working at a café at a summer resort in the Swiss Alps.
In the activity below, help Elise figure out how much people owe for their meals. Refer to the menu to see the prices. Just remember that 3.20 is written as 3,20 in French. And since the prices are in euros, you should write your numbers like this: 3,20 euros.
Good luck!
| Sandwich Menu | |
|---|---|
| Saucissons | 4,50 € |
| Jambon beurre | 3,50 € |
| Saumon | 5,50 € |
| Pizza | 4,50 € |
Un couple mangent deux sandwichs au jambon beurre. Combien doivent-elles?
Un homme mange un sandwich au saumon. Combien doit-il?
Une femme mange une pizza. Combien doit-elle?
Une famille mange deux sandwichs au saucissons sec et une quiche. Combien doit-elle?
| Your Responses | Sample Answers |
|---|---|
| 7,00 euros | |
| 5,50 euros | |
| 4, 50 euros | |
| 13,50 euros | |
After work, Elise invites her friend Marion to eat at the restaurant. At the end of the meal, they discuss who is paying. Read along as you listen to their conversation.
Elise: Comment est le sandwich au
jambon beurre?
Marion: Très bon merci. Et le thon
crudités (tuna salad)?
Elise: C’est super!
Marion: Alors, combien d’euros
devons-nous?
Elise: Euh, moi, je dois 16 euros.
Marion: Alors, je te dois 8 euros.
Elise: Absolument pas. C’est moi qui
t’ai invitée. Tu ne dois rien (nothing).
Marion: Mais oui. Je te dois une
invitation à diner.
In this example, Marion wants to do something very American. She wants to pay her half of the bill. Why does Elise refuse?
Elise refuses because she was the one who invited Marion. In France, if you invite someone to do something, you are the one who pays. Of course, someone can always pay you back by inviting you the next time.
Can you answer the rest of these comprehension questions about Elise and Marion’s conversation?
How is the ham and butter sandwich?
- very good
- bad
- gross
very good
very good
very good
How much is the bill for the two sandwiches?
- 8 euros
- 5 euros
- 2 euros
8 euros
8 euros
8 euros
How many euros does Marion say she owes Elise?
- 16 euros (for two sandwiches)
- 12 euros
- 10 euros
16 euros (for two sandwiches)
16 euros (for two sandwiches)
16 euros (for two sandwiches)
What does Elise say Marion owes her?
- nothing
- 2 euros
- 4 euros
nothing
nothing
nothing
At the end, what does Marion say she owes Elise?
- an invitation to dine out
- 5 euros
- 4 euros
an invitation to dine out
an invitation to dine out
an invitation to dine out
Summary
Questions answered correctly:
Questions answered incorrectly:
In this conversation you saw devoir used to say what people owe. Did you notice it doesn’t always have to be money? In this case, Marion said she owes Elise une invitation.
You also learned an important cultural lesson. If you invite someone to do something in France, you will be expected to pay. And if someone invites you to eat or go to a concert or game, they are most likely going to be paying for you.
This is true in many Francophone cultures as well. In West Africa, both French and Islamic cultural traditions emphasize hospitality and providing for guests. Don’t be surprised if people who seem to have very little money invite you to eat and drink with them and spare no expense.
Question
How do you say I owe money in French?
Je dois de l’argent.
