French Phrase
Je dois être là ?
Meaning
The sentence asks whether the speaker is required to be present at a certain place. It conveys a sense of checking an obligation or a schedule, often after hearing about a meeting, event, or appointment.
When to use
Use this phrase when you want to confirm if you need to attend something, such as a work meeting, a family gathering, or a class. It works in both informal and semi‑formal contexts, but the tone can be softened with a polite “est‑ce que”.
✦Grammar Breakdown
Jedoisêtrelà
Subject pronoun
« Je » is the first‑person singular subject pronoun, always placed before the verb.
Modal verb devoir
« dois » is the present‑tense form of the modal verb devoir, meaning ‘must / have to’. It is conjugated to agree with the subject.
Infinitive after devoir
When devoir is followed by another verb, that verb stays in the infinitive (here, être).
Adverb là
« là » is an adverb of place meaning ‘there’. It can also be used in questions to refer to a previously mentioned location.
Question intonation
In spoken French, a rising intonation at the end of the sentence turns the statement into a question.
🗨In Conversation
Le séminaire commence à 9 h. Tu viens ?
The seminar starts at 9 a.m. Are you coming?
Je dois être là ?
Do I have to be there?
✕Common Mistakes
Je suis devoir être là ?
‘Suis devoir’ mixes the verb être with devoir; the correct construction is devoir + infinitive.
Je dois être le ?
‘Le’ is a direct object pronoun, not the adverb of place ‘là’. Using it changes the meaning completely.
Je doit être là ?
‘Doit’ is the third‑person singular form; with ‘je’ you must use ‘dois’.
↔Alternatives
Dois‑je être là ?
Do I have to be there?
Est‑ce que je dois être là ?
Do I have to be there?
Je suis censé être là ?
Am I supposed to be there?
Il faut que je sois là ?
Do I need to be there?
Cultural Tip
In spoken French, the most natural way to ask this question is with a rising intonation, as in the original phrase. In written or more formal speech, French speakers often prefer inversion (Dois‑je être là ?) or the “est‑ce que” construction. Remember that “là” refers to a specific place already known in the conversation; if you need to point to a location, you can add “ici” (here) or “là‑bas” (over there).