Subjunctive | Moods | Grammar | French

The subjunctive mood expresses doubt, desire, emotion, necessity, and other subjective attitudes. It appears in dependent clauses after certain triggers. This guide covers when to use it, how to form it for regular and common irregular verbs, and key signal expressions.

Usage

The subjunctive shows that something is not certain or is valued rather than stated as fact. It frequently follows verbs and expressions of wanting, fearing, doubting, or needing, and appears in clauses introduced by que. Use it in dependent clauses when the main clause triggers that attitude.

Formation

The present subjunctive is formed by starting from the ils form of the present indicative, removing -ent, and adding endings: -e, -es, -e, -ions, -iez, -ent. This pattern applies to most -er, -ir, and -re verbs for regular subjunctive forms.

Regular -er Verbs

	French Word(s)	English Word(s)
	ils parlent (they speak)	they speak
	que je parle	that I speak
	que tu parles	that you speak
	qu’il parle	that he speaks
	que nous parlions	that we speak
	que vous parliez	that you (pl.) speak
	qu’ils parlent	that they speak

Fill in the BlankComplete the subjunctive for je and nous: que je chant, que nous chant. (infinitive: chanter)

that I sing; that we sing

Regular -ir Verbs

	French Word(s)	English Word(s)
	ils finissent (they finish)	they finish
	que je finisse	that I finish
	que tu finisses	that you finish
	qu’il finisse	that he finishes
	que nous finissions	that we finish
	que vous finissiez	that you (pl.) finish
	qu’ils finissent	that they finish

Regular -re Verbs

	French Word(s)	English Word(s)
	ils vendent (they sell)	they sell
	que je vende	that I sell
	que tu vendes	that you sell
	qu’il vende	that he sells
	que nous vendions	that we sell
	que vous vendiez	that you (pl.) sell
	qu’ils vendent	that they sell

Irregular Verbs

Some common verbs have irregular subjunctive stems and must be memorized because they are frequent triggers in speech and writing. These irregular forms occur in everyday expressions of doubt, emotion, and necessity.

être (to be)

	French Word(s)	English Word(s)
	que je sois	that I be / am
	que tu sois	that you be / are
	qu’il soit	that he be / is
	que nous soyons	that we be / are
	que vous soyez	that you (pl.) be / are
	qu’ils soient	that they be / are

avoir (to have)

	French Word(s)	English Word(s)
	que j’aie	that I have
	que tu aies	that you have
	qu’il ait	that he has
	que nous ayons	that we have
	que vous ayez	that you (pl.) have
	qu’ils aient	that they have

aller (to go)

	French Word(s)	English Word(s)
	que j’aille	that I go
	que tu ailles	that you go
	qu’il aille	that he goes
	que nous allions	that we go
	que vous alliez	that you (pl.) go
	qu’ils aillent	that they go

faire (to do, to make)

	French Word(s)	English Word(s)
	que je fasse	that I do / make
	que tu fasses	that you do / make
	qu’il fasse	that he does / makes
	que nous fassions	that we do / make
	que vous fassiez	that you (pl.) do / make
	qu’ils fassent	that they do / make

Signal Words

Certain expressions almost always trigger the subjunctive when followed by a clause introduced by que. These include phrases of doubt, desire, emotion, and necessity such as il faut que, je veux que, je doute que, and il est important que.

Summary

Use the subjunctive in dependent clauses after triggers of doubt, desire, emotion, and necessity. Form the present subjunctive by starting from the ils form, removing -ent, and adding endings, and learn common irregulars like être, avoir, aller, and faire. Pay attention to signal expressions that cue the mood so your speech sounds natural and precise.

Last updated: Fri Oct 24, 2025