🗣️⚠️⏮️

How to Say ‘I should have warned you’ in French

J'aurais dû vous prévenir

zhay oh-REH dew voo pray-vuh-neer

[zhay oh-REH dew voo pray-vuh-neer]

💬 Usage Tip: J'aurais dû plus a verb means "I should have": J'aurais dû demander "I should have asked".

Phrase Breakdown

J'aurais dû

zhay oh-REH dew

I should have

Past conditional of 'devoir'. Say 'zho-ray dew'.

Example

J'aurais dû partir plus tôt.

I should have left earlier.

Words in this phrase

[zhay]

Pronoun used by the speaker to refer to himself or herself.

Example

J'aime les bonbons.

I like candies.

aurais

[oh-REH]

would have

Conditional of 'avoir'; with 'dû' it means 'should have'.

Example

J'aurais aimé venir.

I would have liked to come.

dû

[dew]

Had to

Necessity or obligation in the past.

Example

Il a dû partir tôt.

He had to leave early.

vous prévenir

voo pray-vuh-neer

told you in advance

'Prévenir' means to warn or inform beforehand. Say 'voo pray-vuh-neer'.

Example

Je vais vous prévenir.

I'll let you know.

Words in this phrase

vous

[voo]

you

Used to refer to the person or people being addressed.

Example

Vous aimez le film?

Do you like the movie?

prévenir

[pray-vuh-neer]

To warn

To inform someone in advance about something.

Example

Il est important de prévenir les gens du danger.

It's important to warn people of the danger.

Guides for French learners

Ordering in French: Cafés, Bakeries and Restaurants (with Menu Vocabulary)How to order in French at a café, a bakery and a restaurant: the phrases, the questions staff ask, and the menu and food vocabulary to understand the answers.Hello in French: Greetings, Good Evening and How to Answer "How Are You?"How to say hello in French, when to switch to good evening, how to ask how are you and what to answer, with tu vs vous and native audio.

Get the Full Learning Experience

This lesson is just a preview. Download PrettyFluent to practice pronunciation, roleplay conversations, and master vocabulary with spaced repetition.

Pronunciation Feedback

AI-powered feedback on what you say out loud

Spaced Repetition

Retain vocabulary long-term with smart practice

Immersive Roleplaying

Practice real conversations with AI partners

Lessons for Your Situation

Request lessons tailored to your specific needs

Get Full Lesson

What Learners Are Saying

“Moved to Lyon for a culinary apprenticeship. The food and restaurant lessons were exactly what I needed — my French colleagues were genuinely impressed.”

Tom H., 38, Chef

“Studying in Paris and the academic French I learned in school was useless for daily life. This app filled the gap in weeks, not months.”

Nina W., 29, Graduate Student

“Learning a language has never been as immediately impactful. Now I can charm the locals and navigate the food scene like a boss.”

Alex M., 42, Software Engineer