French Phrase
Je devais livrer à temps.
Meaning
I had to deliver (something) on time. The sentence stresses a past duty or expectation to meet a deadline, often in a professional or project‑based context.
When to use
Use this phrase when you are talking about a responsibility you faced in the past—whether it’s a work assignment, a package you needed to ship, or any task that required punctuality.
✦Grammar Breakdown
Jedevaislivreràtemps
Imparfait of devoir
‘devais’ is the first‑person singular imparfait of ‘devoir’, used to express an obligation or intention that existed in the past.
Infinitive after devoir
When ‘devoir’ is in a past tense, the verb that follows stays in the infinitive (here ‘livrer’).
‘à temps’ = on time
The fixed expression ‘à temps’ means ‘on schedule / before the deadline’; it does not take an article.
🗨In Conversation
Je devais livrer à temps, mais le trafic était terrible.
I had to deliver on time, but the traffic was terrible.
C’est dommage, tu as pu le faire finalement ?
That’s a shame, were you able to do it in the end?
✕Common Mistakes
Je devais livrer le temps.
‘Livrer’ is a verb; you cannot combine it with ‘le temps’. Use the fixed expression ‘à temps’.
Je devais livrer à la temps.
‘Temps’ is a masculine, uncountable noun in this expression, so no article is used.
Je dois livrer à temps.
Use the present ‘dois’ only for current obligations; the past meaning requires ‘devais’.
↔Alternatives
Je devais remettre le travail à l'heure.
I had to hand in the work on time.
Il fallait que je livre à temps.
I needed to deliver on time.
J'étais censé livrer à temps.
I was supposed to deliver on time.
Cultural Tip
In French business culture punctuality is taken seriously. Saying you ‘livrez à temps’ signals reliability. Note that ‘livrer’ can refer both to delivering a physical package and to completing a task, so the context will clarify which meaning is intended.