The irregular verb vouloir is a shoe verb in the present tense. Vouloir means “to wish,” “to want,” or “will”:
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- je veux
- nous voulons
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- tu veux
- vous voulez
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- il veut
- ils veulent
Vouloir is used:
In the present tense to express strong will
- Il veut le faire. (He wants to do it or He will do it.)
- Je ne veux pas te suivre. (I don't want to follow you or I won't follow you.)
In the passé composé to express “trying” or “refusal” to do something
- Il a voulu le faire. (He tried to do it.)
- Il n'a pas voulu le faire. (He refused to do it.)
In the conditional to express a wish or desire in a more courteous manner
- Je voudrais t'accompagner. (I would like to go with you.)
In the imperative (command) form to express a polite command
- Veuillez fermer la fenêtre. (Please shut the window [meaning: Would you shut the window?].)
Idiomatically in the expression vouloir bien, which means “to be good enough to” or “to be willing to”
- Voulez‐vous bien m'aider? (Will you be good enough to help me? or Are you willing to help me?)