When following this conjugation pattern, you may see two is in a row! No worries, it's perfectly normal.
étudier → Il faut que nous etudiions.
to study → We must study.
French Articles
The present subjunctive: How to form and use it in French?
By: Céline Bateman-Paris Fri Aug 30 2024
The French subjunctive is formed by applying a set of special subjunctive endings to verbsNo definition set for verbsLorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam, quis nostrud exercitation ullamco laboris nisi ut aliquip ex ea commodo consequat. Duis aute irure dolor in reprehenderit in voluptate velit esse cillum dolore eu fugiat nulla pariatur. Excepteur sint occaecat cupidatat non proident, sunt in culpa qui officia deserunt mollit anim id est laborum.. You will likely use the subjunctive any time you have two independent clausesNo definition set for independent clausesLorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam, quis nostrud exercitation ullamco laboris nisi ut aliquip ex ea commodo consequat. Duis aute irure dolor in reprehenderit in voluptate velit esse cillum dolore eu fugiat nulla pariatur. Excepteur sint occaecat cupidatat non proident, sunt in culpa qui officia deserunt mollit anim id est laborum. with two subjectsNo definition set for subjectsLorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam, quis nostrud exercitation ullamco laboris nisi ut aliquip ex ea commodo consequat. Duis aute irure dolor in reprehenderit in voluptate velit esse cillum dolore eu fugiat nulla pariatur. Excepteur sint occaecat cupidatat non proident, sunt in culpa qui officia deserunt mollit anim id est laborum., and the subject in the first clause is having a thought, emotion, wish, desire, or request regarding the subject in the second clause. Take a look at the following examples:
Tu es contente que le chat aime le bébé.
You are happy that the cat loves the baby.
Je voudrais que tu viennes avec nous.
I would like you to come with us.
Je ne pense pas qu’il ait une voiture.
I don’t think he has a car.
Il faut que je fasse des courses.
I have to do some grocery shopping.
You will also need the subjunctive after specific verbs and impersonal phrases such as il faut que(it is necessary that). And, while present subjunctive sentences typically contain the relative pronoun que, the presence of que does not mean the verb following it will necessarily be in the subjunctive!
In this post, we’ll review the steps to conjugate the French present subjunctive, as well as when to use this mood and how to avoid it with alternatives. Allons-y !(Let's get started!)
Table of Contents
How to form the present subjunctive in French?
To form the present subjunctive in French, you’ll need to memorize a set of endings to conjugateNo definition set for conjugateLorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam, quis nostrud exercitation ullamco laboris nisi ut aliquip ex ea commodo consequat. Duis aute irure dolor in reprehenderit in voluptate velit esse cillum dolore eu fugiat nulla pariatur. Excepteur sint occaecat cupidatat non proident, sunt in culpa qui officia deserunt mollit anim id est laborum. the verb. Those endings will depend on which conjugationNo definition set for conjugationLorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam, quis nostrud exercitation ullamco laboris nisi ut aliquip ex ea commodo consequat. Duis aute irure dolor in reprehenderit in voluptate velit esse cillum dolore eu fugiat nulla pariatur. Excepteur sint occaecat cupidatat non proident, sunt in culpa qui officia deserunt mollit anim id est laborum. a verb follows: -er, -ir, or -re. The -er endings are almost the same as the present tense, but for -ir and -re verbs, you will follow a different set of conjugation steps to form the present subjunctive. Of course, there are also a few irregularNo definition set for irregularLorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam, quis nostrud exercitation ullamco laboris nisi ut aliquip ex ea commodo consequat. Duis aute irure dolor in reprehenderit in voluptate velit esse cillum dolore eu fugiat nulla pariatur. Excepteur sint occaecat cupidatat non proident, sunt in culpa qui officia deserunt mollit anim id est laborum. verbs in French, which each have a special set of conjugation endings for the present subjunctive. We’ll start with something easier: -er verbs!
How to form the present subjunctive with regular ‘-er’ verbs in French?
To form the present subjunctive for regular -er verbs in French, you’ll use the same forms of the verb as you do for the indicativeNo definition set for indicativeLorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam, quis nostrud exercitation ullamco laboris nisi ut aliquip ex ea commodo consequat. Duis aute irure dolor in reprehenderit in voluptate velit esse cillum dolore eu fugiat nulla pariatur. Excepteur sint occaecat cupidatat non proident, sunt in culpa qui officia deserunt mollit anim id est laborum. present tense in French, except for with nous and vous.
For je, tu, il, elle, on, ils, and elles→ subjunctive present = regular present
For nous and vous → subjunctive present = i + present tense endings
Let’s take the most romantic verb aimer(to love):
Indicative present | Subjunctive present |
|---|---|
J’aime | J’aime |
Tu aimes | Tu aimes |
Il aime | Il aime |
On aime | On aime |
Nous aimons | Nous aimions |
Vous aimez | Vous aimiez |
Ils aiment | Ils aiment |
Elles aiment | Elles aiment |
Important
How to form the present subjunctive with ‘-ir’ and ‘-re’ verbs in French?
To form the present subjunctive with -ir and -er verbs, you will use the stemsNo definition set for stemsLorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam, quis nostrud exercitation ullamco laboris nisi ut aliquip ex ea commodo consequat. Duis aute irure dolor in reprehenderit in voluptate velit esse cillum dolore eu fugiat nulla pariatur. Excepteur sint occaecat cupidatat non proident, sunt in culpa qui officia deserunt mollit anim id est laborum. of the ils (for je, tu, il, elle, on, ils, and elles) and nous indicative present tense conjugations. This formation strategy will work for all -ir and -re verbs (aside from the seven irregular present subjunctive verbs).
Here’s the two-step technique for the je, tu, il, elle, on, ils, and elles conjugations (before you end up knowing them by heart). We’ll use the verb écrire (to write) as an example.
Step 1: Find the base of ils and nous in the regular present tense
ils écrivent
nous écrivonsStep 2: Add the following endings
Pronoun(s)EndingExample:
écrire(to write)je
-e
écrive
tu
-es
écrives
il, elle, on
-e
écrive
nous
-ions
écrivions
vous
-iez
écriviez
ils, elles
-ent
écrivent
However, nous and vous are often the odd ones, because the stemNo definition set for stemLorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam, quis nostrud exercitation ullamco laboris nisi ut aliquip ex ea commodo consequat. Duis aute irure dolor in reprehenderit in voluptate velit esse cillum dolore eu fugiat nulla pariatur. Excepteur sint occaecat cupidatat non proident, sunt in culpa qui officia deserunt mollit anim id est laborum. for nous and vous verbs in the present tense will sometimes be different from the stem for other subjects. Let’s look at the verb prendere (to talk), which is a verb that has a special stem used for the ils and nous/vous form:
Step 1: Find the base of ils and nous in the regular present tense
ils prennent
nous prenonsStep 2: Add the following endings
Pronoun(s)EndingExample:
prendere(to talk)je
-e
prenne
tu
-es
prennes
il, elle, on
-e
prenne
nous
-ions
prenions
vous
-iez
preniez
ils, elles
-ent
prennent
Important
Even though their spelling will vary, verbs sound exactly the same for je, tu, il, elle, on, ils, elles!
What are the irregular verbs in the present subjunctive in French?
Here are the seven irregular verbs in the present subjunctive you need to know by heart to make your life easier in French!
être
to be
avoir
to have
aller
to go
vouloir
to want
faire
to do
savoir
to know
pouvoir
to be able to
Irregular verbs in the present subjunctive | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
je / j’ | tu | il / elle / on | nous | vous | ils / elles | |
Irregular verbs with two different stems: | ||||||
être(be) | sois | sois | soit | soyons | soyez | soient |
avoir(have) | aie | aies | ait | ayons | ayez | aient |
aller(go) | aille | ailles | aille | allions | alliez | aillent |
vouloir(want) | veuille | veuille | veuille | voulions | vouliez | veuillent |
Irregular verbs with a common stem | ||||||
faire(make do) | fasse | fasses | fasse | fassions | fassiez | fassent |
savoir(know) | sache | saches | sache | sachions | sachiez | sachent |
pouvoir(be able) | puisse | puisses | puisse | puissions | puissiez | puissent |
How to form the past subjunctive in French?
To form the past subjunctive in French, you will form a compound tense with the auxiliary avoir(to have) or être (to be) conjugated in the present subjunctive, along with a past participle.
subjunctive of avoir or être
past participle
Je suis contente que tu sois venu hier !
I’m happy you came yesterday!
If you’d like to learn more about the past subjunctive, check out our separate article on the past subjunctive in French!
When to use the present subjunctive in French?
Use the present subjunctive mood after certain expressions, after an adjective, after verbs expressing emotions, judgments, volition and doubt, and after a negative thought. Here, I’ll give you the most used expressions and verbs you are likely to hear or use.
Important
If the first part of the sentence (triggering the present subjunctive) is in the future or past tense, you’ll still use the subjunctive present. Pretty good news, isn’t it?!
Il faut qu’il vienne.
He has to come.
PAST:
Il fallait qu’il vienne. / Il a fallu qu’il vienne.
He had to come.
FUTURE:
Il faudra qu’il vienne. / Il va falloir qu’il vienne.
He will have to come.
Which expressions trigger the present subjunctive in French?
There are some expressions to learn by heart that trigger the present subjunctive. You already saw one, il faut que(one must), in the section above! Take a look:
il faut que
one must
il vaut mieux que
it’d be better if
dommage que
shame that
pourvu que
provided that
pour que
in order to
avant que
before
bien que
although
jusqu'à ce que
until
For example:
Il faut que je parte !
I must go.
C’est dommage qu’il pleuve.
It’s a shame it’s raining.
Fais-le avant qu’il ne soit trop tard.
Do it before it is too late.
Important
Be careful! Avant que(before) is a phrase that triggers the subjunctive, but this does not apply to the opposite: après que(after).
avant que
subjunctive
but
après que
indicative
However, French speakers love the subjunctive so much they will use it 90 percent of the time after après que anyway. So just use whatever you want!
Il est parti après que je suis arrivée.
or
Il est parti après que je sois arrivée.
He left after I arrived.
How to use the present subjunctive with adjectives in French?
There is a very straightforward rule when it comes to adjectives and the subjunctive: if you see an adjective after être (to be) or trouver(to find, to consider), use the subjunctive.
Je suis contente que tu sois là.
I’m glad you’re here.
C’est bizarre qu’il soit parti.
It is weird he left.
Il trouve génial que tu vives dans une péniche.
He finds it awesome you live on a boat.
Exception!
An adjective expressing a certainty calls for the indicative.
Il est certain qu’ils sont d’accord.
Il est certain qu’ils sont d’accord.
Il est évident qu’il va pleuvoir.
It is obviously going to rain.
How to use the French present subjunctive to express emotions, judgements, volition, doubt?
You must also use the subjunctive with verbs expressing emotions, judgments, volition, and doubts.
Expression | French | English |
|---|---|---|
FEAR | avoir peur que | to be afraid |
craindre que | to dread | |
redouter | to fear | |
TASTES | aimer | to like |
apprécier | to appreciate | |
adorer ≠ détester | to love ≠ to hate | |
VOLITION | souhaiter | to wish |
vouloir | to want | |
exiger | to demand | |
REGRETS | regretter | to regret |
J’aurais voulu* | I would have wanted | |
J’aurais aimé* | I would have liked | |
J’aurais préféré* | I would have preferred |
Let’s look at some examples:
J’ai peur qu’il pleuve.
I’m afraid it’s going to rain.
Il veut que nous mangions ensemble.
He wants us all to eat together.
J’aurais préféré que tu viennes avec nous.
I would have preferred that you came with us.
How to use the French present subjunctive with verbs expressing thoughts?
The present subjunctive is also used after a French negation phrase with verbs expressing thoughts. For non-negative sentences with verbs expressing thoughts, the second clause is in the indicative. For example:
indicativepresent subjunctive
Je pense qu’il est canadien, je ne pense pas qu’il soit américain.
I think he is Canadian, I don’t think he’s American.
What are alternatives to the present subjunctive in French?
There are some alternatives to avoid the present subjunctive if you happen to forget the conjugation of an irregular verb, such as using the verb devoir, using the French imperative mood, or using an infinitive.
How to use ‘devoir’ as an alternative to the French present subjunctive?
Devoir(must, have to) is a useful alternative to the subjunctive, but it can sound a bit blunt. Instead of using a subjunctive expression, such as il vaut mieux que(it'd be better if), you can use devoir and an infinitive. For example:
Il faut que tu partes. ⇔ Tu dois partir.
You must leave.
How to use the imperative as an alternative to the French present subjunctive?
You can also use the imperative as an alternative for using the subjunctive.
subjunctiveimperative
Il faut que tu fermes la porte ⇔ Ferme la porte à clef !
Lock the door!
How to use the infinitive as an alternative to the French present subjunctive?
The French Infinitive is another alternative to the present subjunctive. This is not a bad option, but it is more impersonal.
Il est important que tu suives les actualités. ⇔ Il est important de suivre les actualités.
It is important that you follow the news. ⇔ It is important to follow the news.
What other strategies are useful to avoid the French present subjunctive?
Here are some additional cunning strategies to avoid using the present subjunctive:
Subjunctive use | Strategy to avoid subjunctive | English translation |
|---|---|---|
Il est possible que → Il est possible qu’il vienne. | peut-être → Il viendra peut-être. | He may come. |
Je ne suis pas sûr que / je doute que → Je ne suis pas sûr que ça lui plaise. | Je ne sais pas si → Je ne sais pas si ça lui plaira. | I’m not sure he’ll like it. |
Negative thought → Je ne crois pas qu’il pleuve. | Negation after the thought → Je crois qu’il ne pleut pas. | I don’t think it’s raining / I think it is not raining. |
In brief: Tips to tackle French subjunctive once and for all!
When using the present subjunctive in French, keep the following in mind:
Learn a few expressions which trigger the subjunctive, such as il faut que.
Ask yourself:
Am I not sure ? → subjunctive
Am I being subjective? → subjunctive
Am I using an adjective? → subjunctive
Is my sentence starting with ne … pas?→ subjunctive
Learn the present subjunctive forms of the seven irregular verbs:
Il faut…
…que je sois
…que j’aie
…que j’aille
…que je veuille
…que je fasse
…que je sache
…que je puisse
Sometimes you’ll need to choose between the indicative and the subjunctive in French, but before then, why don't you practice your knowledge of the French present subjunctive with our exercises?
Downloadable Resources
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