Subjunctive mood

ByFast French

The subjunctive is a verb mood that expresses actions or ideas that are subjective or uncertain. It can indicate doubt, necessity, emotion, or a desire rather than a straightforward statement of fact. Although it can seem complicated at first, the subjunctive is a normal and frequent part of everyday French.

There are four moods in French – the indicative, the imperative, the conditional and the subjunctive. If you have learned verb tenses like the present, the passé composé, the imparfait, the futur simple or the plus-que-parfait, these are all verb tenses in the indicative mood. If you have learned how to give commands in French (eg Venez ici ! – come here!), you have learned the imperative mood. And if you have learned the present conditional and perhaps the past conditional, you have come across the conditional mood.

The Subjunctive in English

English also has a subjunctive mood, though it is rarely used in everyday conversation. In modern English, the subjunctive mostly appears in formal or literary contexts, or in certain fixed expressions. It is used to express wishes, demands, suggestions, or hypothetical situations. For example:

  • I suggest that he arrive early.
  • It is important that she be on time.
  • If I were taller, I would play basketball.

Notice in these examples that the verb form is different from what we would expect in normal indicative statements. In “that he arrive,” “arrive” is used instead of the more usual “arrives.” In “that she be,” “be” is used instead of “is.” In “if I were,” “were” is used instead of “was.”

While use of the English subjunctive is limited to better-educated people, the French subjunctive is very much alive and widely used by all sectors of French society.

The French Subjunctive

In French, the subjunctive is required in a variety of situations. It often appears in dependent clauses introduced by “que.” Here are the main types of expressions that call for the subjunctive:

1. Necessity and Obligation

When expressing that something is necessary or obligatory, the subjunctive is used.

  • Il faut que tu viennes.
    (It is necessary that you come.)
  • Il est essentiel que nous finissions à l’heure.
    (It is essential that we finish on time.)

2. Volition and Desire

When expressing a wish, command, or desire, the subjunctive is also required.

  • Je veux que tu sois heureux.
    (I want you to be happy.)
  • Elle préfère que nous partions tôt.
    (She prefers that we leave early.)

3. Doubt and Uncertainty

When expressing doubt, disbelief, or uncertainty, the subjunctive is used.

  • Je doute qu’il comprenne.
    (I doubt that he understands.)
  • Il n’est pas certain que nous réussissions.
    (It is not certain that we succeed.)

4. Emotion

When expressing emotions like happiness, fear, sadness, or anger, the subjunctive is necessary.

  • Je suis content que tu sois ici.
    (I am happy that you are here.)
  • Nous avons peur qu’il ne vienne pas.
    (We are afraid that he might not come.)

5. Certain Conjunctions

Some conjunctions automatically trigger the subjunctive. These include:

  • avant que (before)
  • pour que (so that)
  • bien que (although)
  • à condition que (provided that)

Examples:

  • Nous partirons avant qu’il n’arrive.
    (We will leave before he arrives.)
  • Je le fais pour que tu sois content.
    (I am doing it so that you are happy.)
  • Bien qu’il soit jeune, il est très sage.
    (Although he is young, he is very wise.)

6. The Superlative

The subjunctive is also used after a superlative expression when it implies a subjective judgment, doubt, or when the speaker is not presenting something as an absolute fact. Examples include:

  • C’est la meilleure chanson que j’aie jamais entendue.
    (It is the best song that I have ever heard.)
  • Il est le seul étudiant qui comprenne ce problème.
    (He is the only student who understands this problem.)
  • C’est la pire chose que tu puisses faire.
    (It is the worst thing you could do.)

In these cases, the superlative introduces an opinion or an element of subjectivity, which calls for the subjunctive.

7. Common irregular verbs in the Present Subjunctive

InfinitiveJeTuIl/Elle/OnNousVousIls/Elles
êtresoissoissoitsoyonssoyezsoient
avoiraieaiesaitayonsayezaient
allerailleaillesailleallionsalliezaillent
fairefassefassesfassefassionsfassiezfassent
pouvoirpuissepuissespuissepuissionspuissiezpuissent
savoirsachesachessachesachionssachiezsachent
vouloirveuilleveuillesveuillevoulionsvouliezveuillent

Don’t miss new articles!

Get 1 email a week with new articles about French

We don’t spam! Read more in our privacy policy

Similar Posts

  • Countries II

    ByFast French

    When talking about going “in” or “to” a country in French, the preposition you use depends on the gender of the country’s name and its first letter. French countries are either masculine or feminine, and this gender affects the choice of preposition. General rules List of feminine countries Masculine countries ending in a consonant Masculine…

  • j’y vais

    ByFast French

    The French phrase j’y vais means “I’m going” or “I’m going there.” It contains the subject je (I), the verb vais (am going), and the pronoun y, which replaces a previously mentioned location or destination. Without y, the sentence je vais simply means “I go” or “I am going,” but it does not say where….

  • to mean

    ByFast French

    The English verb to mean has several possible translations in French, depending on the subject and grammatical structure. The most common verbs are vouloir dire and signifier. Other verbs like impliquer, représenter, entendre par, and consister à may also apply in specific contexts. The correct translation depends on what is doing the “meaning” (a person,…

  • shortened words

    ByFast French

    French speakers often use shortened forms of words in casual conversation. These abbreviations, or apocopes, are especially common in informal speech and writing. They are usually formed by dropping one or more syllables from the end of a word. Some have become so familiar that they are now widely accepted, even outside informal settings. Here…

  • despite, in spite of

    ByFast French

    Both “despite” and “in spite of” can usually be translated into French with the same expressions. The most common translations are “malgré,” “en dépit de,” and “quand même.” Malgré “Malgré” is the most straightforward and frequent translation of “despite” and “in spite of.” It is followed directly by a noun or pronoun. Examples: En dépit…

  • à tes souhaits

    ByFast French

    À tes souhaits and à vos souhaits are fixed French phrases said after someone sneezes. They are the usual polite response, like bless you in English. The choice between tes and vos depends on whether you address one person informally or one or more people formally. The noun souhait means wish. The phrase literally means…