The subjunctive is used to present an action as contemplated, desired, felt, judged or uncertain. It is used when the speaker does not present the fact as objective certainty, but as something that depends on a will, an emotion, an assessment or a possibility. In il faut que tu viennes, the coming is not a observed fact, it is a necessity. In je veux qu’il parte, the departure depends on a will. In je regrette qu’il soit malade, the sentence expresses a personal reaction, not a neutral description. The subjunctive thus often appears in a subordinate clause introduced by a conjunction or a verb that calls for this mood, as we also see with the Conjunctions of Subordination.

The choice depends on how the idea is presented. If the speaker asserts a certain fact, he uses the indicative. If the sentence expresses a desire, a judgment, an emotion, doubt or an obligation, the subjunctive is required. Compare je sais qu’il vient and je veux qu’il vienne. In the first sentence, the verb savoir presents the fact as known. In the second, vouloir que shows an influence on the action, hence the subjunctive. The same contrast appears with je pense qu’il a raison when the thought is treated as an opinion, and je doute qu’il ait raison when certainty disappears. The decisive point is simple: established fact = indicative, content sought or not assured = subjunctive.

After a verb of will, request or need, the subordinate clause takes the subjunctive. We find vouloir que, demander que, exiger que, souhaiter que, préférer que, as well as impersonal constructions like il faut que. The structure is always the form subject + verb of will or request + que + subjunctive. Je veux que tu restes, elle demande que nous partions, il faut que vous finissiez. The will or the request belongs to the first clause, while the action of the second clause is not presented as realized at the moment of speaking.

The subjunctive appears after marks of doubt, uncertainty and possibility. Je doute qu’il vienne expresses a lack of certainty. Il est possible qu’elle soit en retard leaves the action open. Il se peut qu’ils aient oublié works in the same way. With peut-être que, the usage depends on the sentence structure: in formal language, one often prefers il est possible que + subjunctive when the idea of possibility must be clearly framed. The subjunctive is appropriate as soon as the speaker signals that the fact is not established. It is the same logic as in the uses presented for Verb moods, where the mood expresses the speaker’s attitude toward the action.

Emotions bring in the subjunctive when the sentence expresses a personal reaction to a fact. Je suis content que tu sois là, nous sommes surpris qu’elle parte si tôt, je regrette qu’il pleuve, j’ai peur qu’il rate le train. The emotion concerns an event or a situation that is not simply described. The speaker reacts to this situation. The subjunctive is also used after expressions like être triste que, être heureux que, être désolé que, craindre que. With craindre que, everyday French often adds ne after que: je crains qu’il ne vienne pas. This ne does not announce a complete negation; it accompanies the fear.

Some impersonal constructions call for the subjunctive because they express an obligation, a necessity or an appreciation. Il est nécessaire que, il est important que, il vaut mieux que, il est préférable que, il est temps que are followed by a subjunctive. Il est nécessaire que nous sachions la vérité, il vaut mieux que tu restes ici. The sentence does not describe a state of the world; it indicates what must be done or what is deemed desirable. These structures are very frequent in writing as in careful speech, and they are often found in sentences that organize an action or give instructions, in connection with the use of the Imperative and the Conditional when comparing order, advice and hypothesis.

Several subordinating conjunctions require the subjunctive because they express purpose, expectation, concession or time limits. Avant que presents an action that must occur earlier than another: pars avant qu’il ne fasse nuit. Pour que and afin que indicate the goal: je parle fort pour que tout le monde m’entende. Jusqu’à ce que marks the temporal limit: attends jusqu’à ce qu’il revienne. Bien que and quoique introduce a concession: bien qu’il soit fatigué, il continue. These conjunctions build a clear relation between two clauses, as in the Clauses and Subordinate Clauses, where the subordinate clause depends on the main one.

The regular present subjunctive is formed from the stem of the third person plural of the present indicative, then the endings -e, -es, -e, -ions, -iez, -ent. With -er verbs, we obtain que je parle, que tu parles, qu’il parle, que nous parlions, que vous parliez, qu’ils parlent. With regular -ir verbs like finir, we have que je finisse, que nous finissions. With many -re verbs, the formation stays regular: que je vende, que nous vendions. The stem changes little, but the person is shown by the endings.

Several very common verbs have special forms in the present subjunctive. Être gives que je sois. Avoir gives que j’aie. Aller gives que j’aille. Faire gives que je fasse. Pouvoir gives que je puisse. Savoir gives que je sache. Vouloir gives que je veuille. These forms often appear in sentences of need, will or appreciation, as il faut que je sois prêt, je veux que tu ailles vite, je doute qu’elle puisse venir. The irregular forms must be recognized immediately, because they are among the most used in everyday French.

To form the present subjunctive of many verbs, one starts from the base of the third person plural of the present. If we take ils parlent, the base is parl-, which gives que je parle. With ils finissent, the base is finiss-, which gives que nous finissions. With ils prennent, the base is prenn-, for certain forms, such as que je prenne. This method helps to spot the correct form when the verb changes in writing or speaking. The subject does not influence the stem, but the ending indicates the person.

The opposition between subjunctive and indicative depends on how the information is presented. The indicative is appropriate when the speaker asserts, states, recounts or regards the fact as real: je sais qu’il travaille, je constate qu’elle est partie. The subjunctive is appropriate when the fact is sought, wished, feared, judged or simply possible: je veux qu’il travaille, je crains qu’elle soit partie, il est possible qu’elle parte. The question to ask is simple: is the sentence about a fact, or about the speaker’s relation to that fact? If the fact is posed as real, the indicative is chosen. If the sentence expresses a position, the subjunctive is chosen.

In informal speech, some very common constructions are sometimes simplified, especially when the sentence is short and the meaning remains clear. One sometimes hears forms close to the indicative in fixed or rapid expressions, but standard French keeps the subjunctive after the verbs and conjunctions that require it. In careful speech, il faut que tu viennes, bien qu’il soit tard, je veux qu’elle fasse attention remain the expected forms. Spoken informal does not change the basic rule; it may only reduce certain forms in pronunciation or in very common turns.

peut êtrefaudrait queje sais pas

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Dans certains échanges spontanés, on peut entendre une hésitation exprimée sans forme plus soutenueDans l’oral familier, on dit parfois cette forme sans ne dans des phrases très courantesÀ l’oral, on emploie souvent une formule très directe pour lancer une nécessité

Tournures orales familières

Region	Variant	Definition	Example
France	je sais pas	In informal speech, one sometimes says this form without ne in very common sentences.	Je sais pas si le chat de la voisine parle vraiment.
Belgique	peut être	In some spontaneous exchanges, one may hear a hesitation expressed without a more formal form.	Peut être qu’il viendra avec trois pigeons savants.
Québec	faudrait que	In speech, one often uses a very direct fórmula to introduce a necessity.	Faudrait que tu apportes les beignes avant la tempête.

Scramble

The past subjunctive expresses an action anterior to another action in a sentence that calls for the subjunctive. It is constructed with the present subjunctive of avoir or être + past participle: que j’aie fini, qu’elle soit partie. It is used in sentences like je suis content qu’il soit venu or il faut qu’elle ait compris. In contemporary French, the present subjunctive remains by far the most common, and the past subjunctive appears mainly when the anteriority is necessary. It occurs in the same environments as the present subjunctive, but it adds the idea that an action is already accomplished at the moment of the main action.