Forming the present subjunctive
Start from the ils (“they”) form of the present tense and remove -ent. That stem takes the endings below. For -er verbs, four of the six forms look exactly like the present; the subjunctive shows itself in nous and vous, and in verbs like finir and partir.
parler · to speakils parlent → stem parl-
finir · to finishils finissent → stem finiss-
partir · to leaveils partent → stem part-
The irregular subjunctives
A handful of frequent verbs have their own stems. Être and avoir are fully irregular. The others use one stem for most forms and the regular nous and vous forms from the imperfect.
| Verb | que je | que tu | qu’il | que nous | que vous | qu’ils |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| ▶ êtreto be | sois | sois | soit | soyons | soyez | soient |
| ▶ avoirto have | aie | aies | ait | ayons | ayez | aient |
| ▶ allerto go | aille | ailles | aille | allions | alliez | aillent |
| ▶ faireto do | fasse | fasses | fasse | fassions | fassiez | fassent |
| ▶ pouvoirto be able | puisse | puisses | puisse | puissions | puissiez | puissent |
| ▶ savoirto know | sache | saches | sache | sachions | sachiez | sachent |
| ▶ vouloirto want | veuille | veuilles | veuille | voulions | vouliez | veuillent |
| ▶ venirto come | vienne | viennes | vienne | venions | veniez | viennent |
What triggers the subjunctive
The subjunctive is not chosen freely: specific phrases before que require it. They fall into five families. Choose one to see its common triggers and an example.
Il faut que, “it is necessary that”, is the single most common trigger.
Ilitfautis-necessaryquethattuyoupartesleavemaintenant.now
When to use the indicative or an infinitive instead
Same subject: use the infinitive The subjunctive needs two different people: one who wants, one who acts. If it is the same person, drop que and use the infinitive.
Certainty: use the indicative Verbs of thinking and believing take the indicative when positive, because the speaker presents the idea as true. In the negative or a question, doubt appears and the subjunctive follows.
Espérer: always indicative Hoping looks like wishing, but espérer que takes the indicative, often the future. It is the best-known exception.
A message to a friend arriving in Paris
Subjunctive forms are in red, their triggers in blue. Every word has its English meaning underneath.
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Why: A feeling: ravie que. The writer is a woman, so ravie with -e.JeIsuisamraviedelightedquethattuyouviennescomeàtoParis !Pariszhuh swee rah-VEE kuh tü VYEN ah pah-REE “I’m delighted you’re coming to Paris!”
-
Why: Necessity. Prennes: ils prennent → prenn-. The RER B links the airport to the city.Ilitfautis-necessaryquethattuyouprennestakeletheRERRERB.Beel foh kuh tü PREN luh air-uh-AIR BAY “You need to take the RER B.”
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Why: Pour que: a goal. Sache is the irregular subjunctive of savoir.Envoie-sendmoimeunamessagemessagepoursoquethatjeIsacheknowtonyourheure.timeah(n)-vwah-MWAH uh(n) meh-SAHZH poor kuh zhuh SAHSH toh(n)-NUR “Send me a message so I know your arrival time.”
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Why: Bien que always takes the subjunctive, even for facts. The main clause uses the future.BienalthoughquethatjeIsoisbeauat-thetravail,workjeIviendraiwill-cometeyouchercher.fetchbya(n) kuh zhuh swah oh trah-VYE, zhuh vya(n)-DRAY tuh shair-SHAY “Although I’ll be at work, I’ll come and get you.”
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Why: Espérer takes the indicative: feras, the future of faire.J’espèreI-hopequethattuyouferaswill-makebongoodvoyage.journeyzhes-PAIR kuh tü fuh-RAH boh(n) vwah-YAHZH “I hope you have a good trip.”