Wanting something is a fundamental human experience, and in French, expressing that desire goes beyond just one word. While 'vouloir' is the most common way to say 'to want', the language offers a rich tapestry of expressions to convey different shades of desire, need, or intention.

Mastering these nuances will not only make your French sound more natural and sophisticated but also allow you to communicate your feelings with greater precision.

Let's dive into 9 different ways to say 'to want' in French, helping you expand your vocabulary and express yourself like a native speaker!

The most common way to express 'to want' – vouloir

The most common way to express “to want” – vouloir

Vouloir is the primary and most direct verb in French to convey the idea of “to want” or “to wish for”.

As one of the most frequently used verbs, vouloir is irregular, meaning its conjugation doesn't follow a standard pattern. Here's its present tense conjugation: Je veux (I want), Tu veux (You want - informal singular), Il/Elle/On veut (He/She/One wants), Nous voulons (We want), Vous voulez (You want - formal singular/plural), Ils/Elles veulent (They want).

You can use vouloir directly with a noun to express wanting an object or a person. For example, Je veux un café (I want a coffee).

When you want to express wanting to do something, vouloir is followed by an infinitive verb. For instance, Nous voulons voyager (We want to travel).

For polite requests, especially in formal settings or when asking for something, the conditional form voudrais (I would like) is preferred over je veux. Je voudrais un verre d'eau, s'il vous plaît (I would like a glass of water, please) is much softer than Je veux un verre d'eau.

While vouloir means "to want," it can also imply a strong will or determination. It's often more assertive than simply "to wish."

To express "not to want," simply place ne before vouloir and pas after it. Je ne veux pas partir (I don't want to leave).

A common idiomatic expression is en vouloir à quelqu'un, which means "to hold a grudge against someone" or "to be angry at someone." For example, Il m'en veut (He's mad at me).

Vouloir is an indispensable verb for expressing desires, wishes, and intentions in French, with its conditional form voudrais being crucial for politeness.

💡 * Je veux manger une pizza. (I want to eat a pizza.)

• Elle veut une nouvelle voiture. (She wants a new car.)
• Nous voulons apprendre le français. (We want to learn French.)
• Je voudrais un billet pour Paris, s'il vous plaît. (I would like a ticket to Paris, please.)
• Ils ne veulent pas venir avec nous. (They don't want to come with us.)
• Tu m'en veux ? (Are you mad at me?)

To express a strong desire or wish, often formal – désirer

The verb désirer is a powerful French verb that translates to “to desire,” “to wish for,” or “to want.” While it shares some meaning with vouloir (to want), désirer carries a notably stronger and often more formal connotation.

Unlike the everyday vouloir, désirer implies a deeper, more profound longing or a more earnest request. It is frequently encountered in formal writing, official communications, or when expressing significant aspirations rather than simple preferences.

You might use désirer when writing a formal letter, making a polite but firm request, or discussing life goals and ambitions. For instance, a hotel might ask, Que désirez-vous? (What do you wish for?) when addressing a guest, implying a broader scope than just a simple immediate need.

Désirer goes beyond merely wanting something; it often suggests a yearning or an aspiration. It’s the verb you’d choose when expressing a heartfelt wish for peace, happiness, or a specific future outcome, rather than just wanting a coffee.

As a regular -ER verb, désirer is straightforward to conjugate. It can be followed by a direct object (a noun) or an infinitive verb, making it versatile for expressing various desires and wishes.

Using désirer can lend an air of seriousness and respect to your communication. It signals that the desire is not trivial and should be taken seriously, reflecting a certain elegance in French expression.

💡 * Je désire sincèrement votre bonheur. (I sincerely desire your happiness.)

• Nous désirons vous accueillir dans les meilleures conditions. (We wish to welcome you in the best conditions.)
• Que désirez-vous pour votre anniversaire? (What do you desire for your birthday?)
• Il désire voyager aux quatre coins du monde. (He desires to travel to the four corners of the world.)
• Elle désire ardemment réussir son examen. (She ardently desires to pass her exam.)

To feel like, to have a craving for – avoir envie de

To express a desire, a craving, or simply 'to feel like' doing something, the French phrase you'll use is avoir envie de.

Literally translating to 'to have desire of,' this versatile expression is essential for talking about what you want or what you're in the mood for.

The verb avoir (to have) will be conjugated according to the subject, while envie de remains constant. For example, j'ai envie de (I feel like), tu as envie de (you feel like), etc.

When you feel like or have a craving for a noun, you simply place the noun after de. For instance, J'ai envie d'une glace. (I feel like an ice cream / I want an ice cream.) Note the contraction d' before a vowel if the noun starts with a vowel or silent 'h'.

To express feeling like doing something, you use an infinitive verb after de. For example, Nous avons envie de voyager. (We feel like traveling.)

This phrase is widely used for everything from wanting a snack to expressing a deeper desire. It conveys a strong sense of personal inclination or appetite, whether physical or abstract.

To say you don't feel like something, simply negate avoir with ne...pas: Je n'ai pas envie de sortir. (I don't feel like going out.)

💡 * J'ai envie d'un café. (I feel like a coffee.)

• Tu as envie de regarder un film ce soir ? (Do you feel like watching a movie tonight?)
• Elle n'a pas envie de travailler. (She doesn't feel like working.)
• Nous avons envie de vacances. (We feel like a vacation / We want a vacation.)
• Ils ont envie de manger des pâtes. (They feel like eating pasta.)

To express a wish, to hope for – souhaiter

Souhaiter is a versatile French verb that translates to “to wish,” “to hope for,” or “to express a wish.” It's used to convey desires, aspirations, or hopes, often for oneself or others.

You can use souhaiter directly with a noun to express a wish for something (e.g., souhaiter un bon anniversaire - to wish a happy birthday) or followed by an infinitive verb to express a wish to do something (e.g., je souhaite voyager - I wish to travel).

When expressing a wish or hope for someone else to do something, souhaiter is typically followed by the conjunction que and a verb in the subjunctive mood. This construction emphasizes the desire rather than a certainty.

Souhaiter is a standard, polite, and widely applicable verb, suitable for both formal and informal contexts. It's a common way to express good wishes or personal aspirations.

💡 * Je te souhaite un joyeux Noël ! (I wish you a Merry Christmas!)

• Nous souhaitons réussir notre examen. (We hope to pass our exam.)
• Elle souhaite que tu viennes à la fête. (She wishes that you come to the party.)
• Que souhaitez-vous manger ce soir ? (What do you wish to eat tonight?)
• Ils lui ont souhaité bonne chance. (They wished him good luck.)

To like, often used in conditional to express a polite wish – aimer (bien/mieux)

The verb aimer generally translates to 'to like' or 'to love' in French, depending on the context and the object. When referring to people, it often means 'to love' (e.g., J'aime ma famille - 'I love my family').

When you add bien after aimer, as in aimer bien, it usually softens 'to love' to 'to like a lot' or 'to be fond of'. For example, J'aime bien cette chanson means 'I really like this song' or 'I'm quite fond of this song'.

Aimer mieux translates to 'to prefer' or 'to like better'. It's used to express a preference between two or more options. For instance, J'aime mieux le café que le thé means 'I prefer coffee over tea'.

Crucially, aimer (often with bien or mieux) is frequently used in the conditional tense (aimerais, aimerions, etc.) to express a polite wish, desire, or preference. This makes the request or statement much softer than a direct declaration.

Using the conditional, such as J'aimerais bien... ('I would really like...') or J'aimerais mieux... ('I would prefer...'), is a very common and polite way to make a suggestion or request without being demanding. It's the French equivalent of 'I would like' or 'I would prefer' in English.

While vouloir (to want) can also be used in the conditional (Je voudrais... - 'I would like...'), aimer in the conditional often conveys a slightly softer, more reflective wish or a gentle preference, especially when expressing a desire for an action or situation to occur.

💡 * J'aimerais bien un verre d'eau, s'il vous plaît. (I would like a glass of water, please.)

• Nous aimerions mieux partir avant la nuit. (We would prefer to leave before nightfall.)
• J'aimerais que tu viennes avec nous. (I would like you to come with us.)
• Aimerais-tu une autre part de gâteau ? (Would you like another slice of cake?)
• Ils aimeraient bien visiter le musée demain. (They would really like to visit the museum tomorrow.)

To aspire to, to long for (a goal or state) – aspirer à

The French verb aspirer à translates directly to “to aspire to” or “to long for” in English. It expresses a strong desire or ambition towards a specific goal, ideal, or state of being. It's about aiming for something significant, often with a sense of earnestness and hope.

Crucially, aspirer always requires the preposition à when referring to what one aspires to. This 'à' can be followed by either an infinitive verb (e.g., aspirer à voyager - to aspire to travel) or a noun (e.g., aspirer à la paix - to aspire to peace). Remember the contraction rules for à + le (au) and à + les (aux).

Aspirer à is typically reserved for more profound or long-term desires and ambitions. It's used for ideals, personal growth, professional achievements, or a desired societal state like freedom, justice, or success, rather than simple, fleeting wishes. It conveys a deeper sense of yearning and commitment than verbs like vouloir (to want) or souhaiter (to wish).

This verb carries a somewhat formal or literary tone. While perfectly acceptable in everyday sophisticated speech, it's less common in very casual conversations. It often appears in contexts discussing personal dreams, philosophical concepts, or societal aspirations.

💡 * Elle aspire à une vie de liberté. (She aspires to a life of freedom.)

• Nous aspirons à la paix dans le monde. (We long for peace in the world.)
• Beaucoup de jeunes aspirent à réussir leur carrière. (Many young people aspire to succeed in their careers.)
• Il aspire à devenir un grand artiste. (He aspires to become a great artist.)
• J'aspire à davantage de tranquillité. (I long for more tranquility.)

To covet, to strongly desire something belonging to others – convoiter

The verb convoiter in French directly translates to 'to covet' or 'to strongly desire something'. It's a powerful word that goes beyond simple wanting, implying a deep, often envious, longing for something.

Crucially, convoiter is most frequently used when the object of desire belongs to someone else. This makes it distinct from verbs like vouloir (to want) or désirer (to desire), as it often carries a connotation of envy or illicit longing, whether for possessions, positions, or even relationships.

Convoiter is a transitive verb, meaning it always takes a direct object. You convoiter something or someone directly, without a preposition, to express this strong, often envious, desire.

💡 * Il convoite la voiture de son voisin. (He covets his neighbor's car.)

• Elle ne devrait pas convoiter la réussite des autres. (She shouldn't covet the success of others.)
• L'entreprise convoite de nouveaux marchés à l'étranger. (The company strongly desires new markets abroad.)
• Ne convoitez pas ce qui ne vous appartient pas. (Do not covet what does not belong to you.)

To demand, to claim something you feel entitled to – réclamer

To demand, to claim something you feel entitled to – réclamer

The verb réclamer primarily means 'to demand' or 'to claim.' Its core nuance lies in the idea of asserting a right or an entitlement to something, rather than simply asking for it.

This verb is used when you feel something is rightfully yours or due to you. It can apply to a wide range of situations, from claiming a refund or a missing package to demanding an explanation or attention.

While similar to 'demander' (to ask), réclamer carries a stronger sense of insistence and legal or moral right. You would réclamer a service not rendered, a lost item, or even the attention of someone.

💡 *Il a réclamé son argent à la banque. (He demanded his money from the bank.)
*Nous devons réclamer nos droits. (We must claim our rights.)
*Elle a réclamé une explication pour le retard. (She demanded an explanation for the delay.)
*Le colis n'est pas arrivé, je vais le réclamer. (The package hasn't arrived, I'm going to claim it.)
*L'enfant réclame l'attention de ses parents. (The child demands his parents' attention.)

To demand, to require something firmly – exiger

The French verb exiger translates most commonly to “to demand” or “to require.” It implies a firm, often non-negotiable request or a strong necessity.

Exiger is a regular -er verb, but it belongs to a group of verbs ending in -ger (like manger, voyager). To maintain the soft 'g' sound, a silent 'e' is added before 'a' and 'o' in some conjugations (e.g., nous exigeons, j'exigeai).

Unlike demander (to ask), exiger carries a stronger sense of obligation or insistence. It's used when something is considered essential, mandatory, or when a demand is made with authority. For instance, a boss might exiger a report, or a law might exiger certain conditions.

A key grammatical point is that exiger often triggers the subjunctive mood in the clause that follows it, especially when expressing a demand, requirement, or necessity for someone else to do something. For example, J'exige qu'il fasse attention (I demand that he pay attention).

💡 * Le professeur exige un travail de qualité. (The professor demands quality work.)

• J'exige que tu me dises la vérité. (I demand that you tell me the truth.)
• La loi exige que tous les véhicules soient assurés. (The law requires all vehicles to be insured.)
• Ils exigent le remboursement immédiat. (They demand immediate reimbursement.)
• Nous exigeons que nos droits soient respectés. (We demand that our rights be respected.)

Are there other ways to say 'to want' in French?

Are there other ways to say 'to want' in French?

Our article has focused on vouloir, the most common verb for 'to want' in French. However, the French language is rich with expressions and verbs that convey different shades of desire, need, or aspiration, depending on the context.

To delve deeper, you could search online for phrases like "synonymes de vouloir" or "expressions pour exprimer le désir en français" to uncover a wider range of options.

When you discover new verbs or expressions for 'to want,' always make sure to check their precise meaning and observe how they are used in different contexts before incorporating them into your own speech.

As you immerse yourself in French media — books, films, podcasts — pay close attention to how native speakers express desire or intention. You'll naturally pick up on subtle distinctions and less common alternatives to vouloir.

For an extensive list of synonyms and related phrases, the WordReference entry for vouloir is an excellent starting point, offering many nuances and contextual examples.

I hope this article has clarified the intricacies of vouloir and sparked your curiosity for more. To conclude, here's a thought-provoking quote from Antoine de Saint-Exupéry: "Fais de ta vie un rêve, et d'un rêve, une réalité." (Make your life a dream, and a dream, a reality.)