No. 375 in French
devait
"Devait" is the third-person singular imperfect form of "devoir," meaning "had to" or "was supposed to."
In a sentence
Il devait partir tôt pour ne pas rater son vol.
He had to leave early so as not to miss his flight.
Imparfait of devoir indicating obligation in the past.
Elle devait être chez elle, mais la lumière était éteinte.
She was supposed to be at home, but the light was off.
Imparfait of devoir expressing an expectation or presumption in the past.
Nous devions souvent attendre avant de commencer la réunion.
We often had to wait before starting the meeting.
Imparfait of devoir indicating a repeated action or habit in the past.
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