Subjonctif
Le subjonctif (the subjunctive) is a grammatical mood similar to the indicative, the passive, the conditional or the imperative. The subjunctive emphasises the subjectivity of a sentence, and it is mostly used in dependent clauses that start with que. The subjunctive expresses possibilities, hypotheses, feelings, thoughts, wishes, doubts, uncertainty, or advice.
When to use the subjunctive in French
Phrases that take the subjunctive in French
We use the French subjunctive in subordinate clauses that start with que and after certain verbs and conjunctions.
- The most common subjunctive construction in French is il faut que.
- ☞ Il faut que vous partiez tout de suite.
- We use the subjunctive after conjunctions with que, such as: avant que, jusqu’à ce que, pour que, afin que, bien que,quoique, à condition que, pourvu que, sans que
- ☞ Bien qu’il soit âgé de 90 ans, il se sent encore en forme et est très actif.
- Remember: the conjunction après que (after) is followed by the indicative not the subjunctive.
- ☞ L’acteur est reparti après que le public l’a acclamé.
Verbs that take the subjunctive in French
Go to our list of French verbs and phrases that take the subjunctive for a comprehensive overview of verbs that are followed by the subjunctive mood. We can organise the verbs that take the subjunctive into the following categories:
- Verbs that express a doubt, wish, permission, request, order etc.: souhaiter, désirer, aimer, avoir peur, avoir honte, craindre, redouter, regretter, être désolé, vouloir, ordonner, exiger, supplier, demander, interdire, permettre, déplorer, se plaindre.
- ☞ Il est important pour lui qu’il puisse encore jouer dans des films.
- ☞ Le public est ravi qu’il reçoive toujours des propositions de rôles.
- Remember: although they express a wish and a feeling, espérer and décider are following by the indicative.
☞ J’espère qu’il aura (futur) encore des propositions de rôles.☞ Le public a décidé qu’il aura (futur) un prix.
- Verbs that express opinions as well as conjunctions that normally take the indicative all take the subjunctive when they are used in negative sentences or questions. Examples of such verbs include: affirmer, croire, dire, être d’avis de, penser.
☞ Tu penses qu’il fera un discours. (indicative)☞ Tu ne penses pas qu’il fasse un discours. (subjunctive)☞ Penses-tu qu’il fasse un discours? (subjunctive)
- Some verbs can be used with both the indicative and the subjunctive, but we need to be aware of the change in meaning: the subjunctive adds a sense of uncertainty.
☞ Il semble qu’il est encore en forme. (fact
☞ Il semble qu’il soit encore en forme. (unsure)
Still not sure? Take a look at our complete list of French verbs and phrases that take the subjunctive.
How to conjugate the subjunctive in French
We form the subjonctif présent using the present-tense verb stem of the 3rd person plural and the endings -e, -es, -e, -ions, -iez, -ent. These endings are the same for all three verb groups.
