Subjunctive Mood
Formation, triggers, and irregular verbs of the subjunctive
When to Use the Subjunctive?
The subjunctive is used in subordinate clauses introduced by que, when the main clause expresses a subjective attitude — wishes, emotions, necessity, doubt, or judgment.
Common Triggers
| Category | Trigger expressions |
|---|---|
| Necessity | il faut que, il est nécessaire que |
| Wishes / will | je veux que, je souhaite que, j'aimerais que |
| Emotions | je suis content(e) que, j'ai peur que |
| Doubt | je doute que, il est possible que |
| Judgment | il est important que, il vaut mieux que |
No subjunctive needed: je pense que, je crois que, il est certain que — these express certainty/belief and use the indicative (regular tenses) in affirmative sentences.
Watch out: In the negative — je ne pense pas que, je ne crois pas que — the subjunctive IS used, because negating belief implies doubt.
Formation
Regular: 3rd person plural (ils) present tense stem + endings
| Subject | Ending | Example: parler (ils parl-ent) |
|---|---|---|
| que je | -e | parle |
| que tu | -es | parles |
| qu'il/elle | -e | parle |
| que nous | -ions | parlions |
| que vous | -iez | parliez |
| qu'ils/elles | -ent | parlent |
Note: For many -er verbs, the subjunctive looks identical to the present indicative in the je/tu/il/ils forms. Context (the trigger expression + que) tells you it's subjunctive.
Two-stem verbs: Some verbs have one stem for je/tu/il/ils and a different stem for nous/vous. For example: prendre → que je prenne, que nous prenions; boire → que je boive, que nous buvions.
Common Irregular Subjunctive Forms
| Verb | Subjunctive (je) | Subjunctive (nous) |
|---|---|---|
| être | sois | soyons |
| avoir | aie | ayons |
| aller | aille | allions |
| faire | fasse | fassions |
| pouvoir | puisse | puissions |
| savoir | sache | sachions |
| vouloir | veuille | voulions |
Memory tip: être and avoir are completely irregular and must be memorized. The others often have a stem change for je/tu/il/ils but revert to a more familiar stem for nous/vous.
Example Sentences
- Il faut que tu fasses tes devoirs. (You must do your homework.)
- Je veux que vous soyez à l'heure. (I want you to be on time.)
- Il est possible **qu'**il pleuve demain. (It's possible that it will rain tomorrow.)
- Je suis content que tu puisses venir. (I'm glad you can come.)
- Bien **qu'**il soit fatigué, il travaille. (Although he is tired, he is working.)
TCF Tip: The subjunctive appears frequently in B1-B2 level reading passages. Recognizing trigger words (il faut que, bien que, pour que, avant que) will help you quickly identify these structures. In listening, pay attention to expressions like il faut que and je voudrais que — the verb that follows will be in the subjunctive.