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elle devait

was supposed to

→ elle
phrase Uncommon #16,928
was supposed to Also can mean "had to" or, in some contexts, "must have" in the past.
FR: Elle devait arriver à midi, mais elle est en retard.
EN: She was supposed to arrive at noon, but she’s late.

Elle devait m'attendre.

She was supposed to wait for me.

— Tout sur ma mère (1999)

Elle devait les porter avant ma naissance.

She must have been wearing them before I was born.

Elle devait voir un professeur à l'université.

She was supposed to see a professor at the university.

— Tesis (1996)

Mais elle devait choisir le prince élu pour elle.

But she had to choose the prince chosen for her.

Puisqu'elle devait venir à cinq heures.

Since she was supposed to come at five o'clock.

— Le Miroir (1975)

Elle devait beaucoup t'aimer.

She must have loved you very much.

— Une fiancée pas comme les autres (2007)

Ça veut dire qu'elle devait connaître son agresseur.

That means she must have known her attacker.

— Dans ses yeux (2009)

Elle devait accoucher dans quatre semaines.

She was due to give birth in four weeks.

— Marty Supreme (2025)

Elle devait me payer tout de suite, au taux convenu.

She was supposed to pay me immediately, at the agreed rate.

— Le vent se lève (2006)

Elle devait lui manquer terriblement.

He must have missed her terribly.

— A Taxi Driver (2017)

Elle devait être là à cinq heures précises.

She was supposed to be there at five o'clock sharp.

Elle devait faire des courses dans l'après-midi.

She was supposed to run some errands in the afternoon.

Est-ce que quelqu'un a dit à Marie à quelle heure elle devait être là ?

Did anyone tell Marie what time she was supposed to be there?

Elle devait appartenir à un nain.

It must have belonged to a dwarf.

— Aguirre, la colère de Dieu (1972)

Elle devait s'entretenir de quelque chose avec lui.

She was supposed to discuss something with him.

Elle devait lui parler de quelque chose.

She had to talk to him about something.

Et elle devait avoir un rhume ou quelque chose.

And she must have had a cold or something.

Elle devait les déposer vendredi à la banque.

She was supposed to drop them off at the bank on Friday.

— Psychose (1960)

Avez-vous découvert pourquoi elle devait vous voir ?

Did you find out why she needed to see you?

— Oppenheimer (2023)

Elle devait venir toute seule.

She was supposed to come on her own.

— Il était Temps (2013)

Elle devait aussi boire beaucoup d’eau.

She also had to drink a lot of water.

— Demon Slayer : Kimetsu no Yaiba - Le film : La Forteresse infinie (2025)

Elle devait savoir qu'elle avait un cancer.

She must have known that she had cancer.

Elle n'avait pas fini un livre qu'elle devait passer à un autre.

She hadn't finished one book before she had to move on to another.

— Picnic (1955)