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How to Say ‘I wanted to know’ in French

Je voulais savoir

zhuh voo-leh sah-VWAHR

[zhuh voo-leh sah-VWAHR]

💬 Usage Tip: French uses the past here, "I wanted", to soften a question about the present. Follow it with any question: Je voulais savoir si c'est ouvert "I wanted to know if it's open".

Phrase Breakdown

[zhuh]

Pronoun used by the speaker to identify themselves.

Example

Je suis content.

I am happy.

voulais

[voo-leh]

wanted

Imperfect form of vouloir, often used to sound polite and less direct in emails.

Example

Je voulais vous remercier pour notre discussion.

I wanted to thank you for our discussion.

savoir

[sah-VWAHR]

to know

Infinitive meaning to know a fact; 'je voulais savoir' is a polite way to ask.

Example

Je voudrais savoir l'heure.

I would like to know the 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.

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