🤔❓

How to Say ‘You must be Emily Smith?’ in French

Tu dois être Emily Smith ?

tyoo dwah EH-truh

[tyoo dwah EH-truh]

💬 Usage Tip: Tu dois être plus a name is a friendly guess at who someone is. Swap in anything: Tu dois être fatigué "You must be tired".

Phrase Breakdown

Tu dois être

tyoo dwah EH-truh

You must be

'Devoir' + infinitive expresses a guess. Say it smoothly: 'tu dwa zètr'. 'Être' ends with a soft 'r'.

Example

Tu dois être fatigué.

You must be tired.

Words in this phrase

[tyoo]

you

An informal singular pronoun used to address one person.

Example

Tu travailles dans une start-up ou une grande entreprise ?

Do you work in a start-up or a large company?

dois

[dwah]

must / have to

Form of 'devoir' for 'je', expressing obligation.

Example

Je dois partir.

I have to leave.

être

[EH-truh]

to be

Infinitive of the basic verb 'to be'.

Example

Je veux être à l'heure.

I want to be on time.

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