"Oui, vous le devez !"

Translation: Yes, you have to!

[pattymac60]

Why is the pronoun "le" in this sentence?

[Sitesurf]

As a pronoun, its function is to replace something already mentioned, to avoid repetition.

Example: "Dois-je acheter du pain?" - "Oui, vous le devez" where "le" = <acheter du pain>

If you need more details:
http://french.about.com/od/grammar/a/directobjects.htm

[freyn]

That's right, but you can't know this. So it's too difficult.

[pattymac60]

Merci

[Chefie]

Why not 'you owe him?' would it then be 'lui'?

[Sitesurf]

In that sense, it would be "vous le/la lui devez"

• "lui" is "il" in the indirect object form: devoir à
• "le" is "il" in the direct object form
• "la" is "elle" in the direct object form.

note the word order: subject +direct object + then indirect object + verb

[woem41]

so why can't you translate "le" as "him" here, rather than "it"?

[Sitesurf]

"vous devez" means "you must"

"vous devez faire ça" = "you must do that"

"vous le devez" = you must do it, you have to do it, you have to

[Valestellarium]

It is correct "Yes, you owe it" and it is also correct "yes, you have to". They have no relation at all though o_O

[benjwy]

Why is:

"yes, you must do it!"

not accepted? It carries the same meaning...

[AsherOliver]

Would "Yes you have to do it!" be another suitable option?

[Sitesurf]

Only an option, because "vous le devez" can mean "vous devez faire cette chose" or "vous devez être ainsi":

• you have to (do it) or you have to (be as such)