The French subjunctive mood is used to express doubt, emotion, necessity, desire, possibility, and judgment. Students need this cheat sheet because the subjunctive often appears after common expressions with que. It helps learners recognize when the subjunctive is required and how to form it correctly.
A clear reference makes writing and speaking in more advanced French more accurate.
Key Facts
- The subjunctive is often used after expressions of will, wish, or command, such as vouloir que, souhaiter que, and demander que.
- The subjunctive is used after expressions of emotion, such as être content que, avoir peur que, and regretter que.
- The subjunctive is used after expressions of doubt or uncertainty, such as douter que, il est possible que, and il se peut que.
- To form the present subjunctive for many verbs, start with the ils/elles present tense stem, remove -ent, and add -e, -es, -e, -ions, -iez, -ent.
- For parler, the present subjunctive forms are que je parle, que tu parles, qu’il parle, que nous parlions, que vous parliez, qu’ils parlent.
- Some very common irregular subjunctive forms include être: que je sois, avoir: que j’aie, aller: que j’aille, and faire: que je fasse.
- Use the indicative after expressions of certainty or fact, such as je pense que, il est clair que, and il est vrai que when they are affirmative.
- The subjunctive usually appears in a dependent clause introduced by que, as in Il faut que tu étudies.
Vocabulary
- Subjunctive mood
- A verb mood used to express doubt, emotion, desire, necessity, or uncertainty rather than a simple fact.
- Indicative mood
- A verb mood used to state facts, describe reality, or express certainty.
- Trigger expression
- A phrase that signals the need for the subjunctive, such as il faut que or bien que.
- Dependent clause
- A part of a sentence that cannot stand alone and often begins with que in subjunctive sentences.
- Stem
- The base part of a verb used before adding endings to form a tense or mood.
- Irregular verb
- A verb that does not follow the normal conjugation pattern and must be memorized.
Common Mistakes to Avoid
- Using the indicative after il faut que is wrong because il faut que always expresses necessity and requires the subjunctive, as in Il faut que tu fasses tes devoirs.
- Forgetting the que clause is wrong because the subjunctive usually appears in a dependent clause, not as a stand-alone verb form.
- Using the infinitive when the subjects are different is wrong because French uses the subjunctive after que when each clause has its own subject, as in Je veux que tu viennes.
- Choosing the subjunctive after an affirmative fact expression is wrong because phrases like il est clair que and je sais que usually take the indicative.
- Applying regular endings to irregular verbs is wrong because verbs like être, avoir, aller, and faire have special subjunctive stems and forms.
Practice Questions
- 1 Conjugate the verb parler in the present subjunctive for nous in the sentence: Il faut que nous _____ français en classe.
- 2 Choose the correct form: Je veux que tu _____ avec moi. a) viens b) viennes c) venir
- 3 Complete the sentence with the correct mood: Il est certain que Marie _____ la réponse. Should the verb savoir be in the indicative or subjunctive?
- 4 Explain why Il faut que tu sois à l’heure uses the subjunctive instead of the indicative.