French: Asking and Wanting Someone to Do Something
Learn how French uses a person as indirect object with demander and vouloir, so you can say who you asked or want to do something, not just what you want to do.
By TheaFirst conversations · Yapr Learn
In English you can say 'I want to wait' and 'I want her to wait'. French makes the same useful distinction, but the person is usually an indirect object placed before the verb: Je veux qu'elle attende, or with demander, J'ai demandé à Marie d'attendre. This lesson teaches the core patterns for asking someone to do something and wanting someone to do something. You will practise demander à quelqu'un de + infinitive and vouloir que + subjunctive, plus the everyday alternative vouloir + infinitive when the person is not mentioned. Pay attention to word order, prepositions and register, because these small words carry the meaning of who acts.
By the end, you can…
- ask someone to do something using demander à + person + de + infinitive.
- say that I want someone else to do something using vouloir que + subjunctive.
- distinguish 'I want to do' from 'I want someone to do' in French.
Listen once. Try it slowly. Then say it without looking.
Checking available voices…
J'ai demandé à Marie d'attendre.
I asked Marie to wait.
zhay duh-mahn-day ah mah-REE dat-TAHNdr
Standard polite request in the past. The person follows à and the action follows de + infinitive.
Elle m'a demandé de patienter.
She asked me to wait.
el mah duh-mahn-day duh pah-see-ahn-TAY
The object pronoun me comes before the verb. Patienter is a slightly more formal synonym of attendre.
Je veux que tu viennes.
I want you to come.
zhuh vuh kuh tew vyehn
Vouloir que requires the subjunctive: viennes, not viens. Common in speech when the desired person is different from the speaker.
Nous voulons qu'il parte.
We want him to leave.
noo voo-LOHN keel PART
The subjunctive parte signals a desired action by someone else. The que cannot be dropped.
Dis-lui de ne pas fumer.
Tell him not to smoke.
dee-lwee duh nuh pah few-MAY
The negative infinitive places ne pas together before the infinitive. Dis-lui is the familiar imperative of dire.
Pronunciation guides are approximate. Slow playback keeps the original pitch.
Make it make sense
Useful pattern
For asking, use demander à + person + de + infinitive: J'ai demandé à Paul de fermer la porte. With pronouns, put the indirect object before the verb: Je lui ai demandé de fermer la porte. For wanting, use vouloir que + new subject + subjunctive: Je veux que Paul ferme la porte. If the person is not mentioned, use vouloir + infinitive: Je veux fermer la porte. The choice between de + infinitive and que + subjunctive depends on the main verb, not on the meaning alone.
When to use it
Use demander à quelqu'un de faire quelque chose for requests and instructions, especially in work, school and service situations: Le professeur a demandé aux élèves de lire le texte. Use vouloir que + subjunctive when you express a wish about another person's action: Mes parents veulent que je rentre tôt. In everyday speech, the subjunctive forms vienne, parte, fasse and soit are frequent and worth learning as whole chunks. For a neutral request, préférer que and aimer que work the same way: Je préfère que tu restes.
Listen to each line, then take one part and reply out loud.
Qu'est-ce que le professeur t'a demandé de faire ?
What did the teacher ask you to do?kess-kuh luh pro-fess-UR tay duh-mahn-day duh fairIl m'a demandé de rendre le devoir vendredi.
He asked me to hand in the homework on Friday.eel mah duh-mahn-day duh RAHNdr luh duh-VWAHR vahn-druh-DEEEt tes parents, qu'est-ce qu'ils veulent que tu fasses ?
And your parents, what do they want you to do?ay tay pah-RAHN kess-keel vuhl kuh tew FASSIls veulent que je travaille plus le week-end.
They want me to work more at the weekend.eel vuhl kuh zhuh trah-VYE plew luh week-endA little context goes a long way
French often prefers a direct request with the conditional for politeness: Pourriez-vous attendre, s'il vous plaît ? In Quebec and in much informal European French, tu and vous choices follow local norms; use vous with strangers and tu with friends, family and classmates. The subjunctive after vouloir que is standard in both France and Canada, though informal speech may sometimes avoid it by rephrasing.
One thing to watch for
Je veux que tu viens.
Try this instead: After vouloir que, French requires the subjunctive, so say Je veux que tu viennes. If you want to avoid the subjunctive, rephrase with an infinitive only when the subject is the same: Je veux venir, meaning 'I want to come', not 'I want you to come'.
Your turn
Try answering out loud before checking a possible answer.
1Translate: 'She asked me to wait.'
Show a sample answer
Elle m'a demandé d'attendre.
Demander à quelqu'un de + infinitive is the standard pattern. Elle m'a demandé de patienter is also correct and slightly more formal.
2Translate: 'I want him to leave.'
Show a sample answer
Je veux qu'il parte.
Vouloir que introduces a new subject and takes the subjunctive parte. Je veux qu'il s'en aille is a valid alternative with a different verb.
3Choose the correct form: Je veux que tu (finis / finisses) tes devoirs.
Show a sample answer
finisses
The subjunctive finisses is required after vouloir que. Finis would be the indicative and sounds incorrect in this structure.
Remember the two frames: demander à quelqu'un de + infinitive for asking, and vouloir que + subjunctive for wanting someone else to act. Keep the person and the que in place, and use a simple infinitive only when the same person performs both actions.
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