Subjunctive Mood in FrenchB1

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.

Choice of mood according to meaning

Usage	Explanation
Factual certainty	The indicative is used when the fact is presented as certain.
Doubt or search	The subjunctive is used when the speaker does not present the fact as established.
Personal judgment	The subjunctive is used when the statement depends on an opinion or assessment.
Feeling or reaction	The subjunctive is used when the statement expresses an emotion.

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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.

Ways of expressing will and request

Usage	Explanation
Volonté directe	We put the subjunctive after a will expressed with that.
Besoin exprimé	We put the subjunctive after a necessity expressed with that.
Demande polie	We put the subjunctive after a request addressed to someone.
Ordre indirect	We put the subjunctive after an order given indirectly.

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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.

Doubt and uncertain possibility

Usage	Explanation
Doubt expressed	We use the subjunctive after an uncertainty clearly expressed.
Possible considered	We use the subjunctive when the possibility remains open but not confirmed.
Prudent eventuality	We often use the subjunctive when one presents a hypothesis with caution.
Absence of certainty	We use the subjunctive if the fact has not yet been verified.

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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.

Affective reactions and subjunctive

Usage	Explanation
Joie	We use the subjunctive after a positive feeling triggered by that.
Regret	We use the subjunctive after a regret expressed toward an action.
Peur	We use the subjunctive after a fear directed to the future.
Surprise	We use the subjunctive after a reaction of surprise or admiration.

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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.

Obligation and impersonal evaluation

Usage	Explanation
Nécessité impersonnelle	We put the subjunctive after an impersonal construction of necessity.
Importance	We put the subjunctive after an appreciation that stresses importance.
Préférence	We put the subjunctive after a preference formulated as advice.
Légitimité	We put the subjunctive after a judgment about what seems right or useful.

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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.

Conjunctions that trigger the subjunctive

Usage	Explanation
Antériorité souhaitée	We use the subjunctive after signposts like before that and until that.
But recherché	We use the subjunctive after groups like so that and in order that.
Concession	We use the subjunctive after links like although and even if.
Attente	We use the subjunctive after a prolonged wait until the result.

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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.

Regular formation of the present

Form	Subject	Infinitive	Conjugation
verbes en -er	ils	parler	parlent
verbes en -ir	ils	finir	finissent
verbes en -re	ils	vendre	vendent

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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.

Common present forms

Subject	Infinitive	Conjugation
je	être	sois
nous	avoir	ayons
tu	aller	ailles
nous	faire	fassions
vous	pouvoir	puissiez
ils	vouloir	veuillent

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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.

Construction of the verbal stem

Idea
We take the base of the third person plural present indicative to form many stems.
We then add the endings of the present subjunctive to the obtained stem.
Some verbs keep a changed or irregular stem.

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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.

Opposition between a certain fact and a felt fact

Idea
We choose the indicative for a fact presented as real.
We choose the subjunctive for a fact simply considered.
We keep the indicative after verified information.
We put the subjunctive after a reaction or a judgment.

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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.

Familiar spoken turns

Region	Variant	Definition	Example
France	je sais pas	In informal spoken French, one sometimes says this form without ne in very common sentences.	Je sais pas si le chat de la voisine parle vraiment.I don’t know if the neighbor’s cat really speaks.
Belgium	peut être	In some spontaneous exchanges, one can hear an hesitation expressed without a more formal form.	Peut être qu’il viendra avec trois pigeons savants.Maybe that he will come with three learned pigeons.
Canada	faudrait que	In speech, one often uses a very direct formula to introduce a necessity.	Faudrait que tu apportes les beignes avant la tempête.Should that you bring the donuts before the storm.

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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.

Position of the past subjunctive

Idea
We use the past subjunctive to place an action anterior to another moment expressed in the sentence.
The past subjunctive is formed with the subjunctive of have or be plus the past participle.
In contemporary French, the present subjunctive remains the most frequent.

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