Several hypotheses have been proposed regarding the link between modality as expressed by the so- called modal verbs devoir or pouvoir in French and evidentiality (mainly inferential evidentiality): (i) traditionally these verbs are considered modal; (ii) more recently they have been thought of as “mixed” (evidential-modal) or (iii) basically evidential for what concerns their epistemic uses. Finally devoir has been presented as fundamentally evidential, without distinction of its various readings. It is argued here that an analysis exclusively made in terms of evidentiality is not conclusive and that modal verbs do indeed have modality as their semantic basis. Nevertheless, we draw upon findings from “evidentiality-oriented” studies and point out that the interpretation of devoir and pouvoir, notably for what concerns their subjective vs objective epistemic readings, depends on the contextual retrieval by the hearer of the evidences involved.