The French Subjunctive

Quick Answer

The subjonctif(subjunctive) is a mode(mood) used to talk about wishes, desires, necessity, emotions, opinions, uncertainty, and possibility. The subjunctive often shows up in subordinate clauses starting with que(that) but can also be used with other conjunctions that indicate goals, consequences, fear, restrictions, and time. Although there are four tenses of the subjunctive, only two are used in everyday French: the présent du subjonctif(present subjunctive) and the passé du subjonctif(past subjunctive).

examples
Il est important que vous votiez aux prochaines élections. It's important for you to vote in the next election.
Quoi que tu aies décidé, je suis fier de toi. Whatever you decided, I'm proud of you.

examples

Il est important que vous votiez aux prochaines élections.

It's important for you to vote in the next election.

Quoi que tu aies décidé, je suis fier de toi.

Whatever you decided, I'm proud of you.

In this article, you'll learn what the subjunctive mood is and when to use it. Commençons !(Let's get started!)

Questions This Article Answers

What is the subjunctive mood?

How does the subjunctive mood compare to the indicative mood in French?

What tenses can be used in the subjunctive in French?

What are the literary tenses of the subjunctive in French?

What are common verbs and phrases that require the subjunctive in French?

What are common conjunctions that require the subjunctive in French?

The Subjunctive Mood in French

examples
Je souhaite que tu me laisses tranquille. I wish you would leave me alone.
Il vaut mieux que tu ne viennes pas. It would be better if you didn't come.
Il est peu probable que cette équipe gagne. It's not very likely that this team will win.
Je suis surpris que tu n'aimes pas les films d'horreur. I'm surprised you don't like horror films.
Bien qu'il soit le meilleur joueur, il ne s'entraîne pas autant que les autres. Although he's the best player, he doesn't practice as much as the others.

Later in this article, we'll cover some common verbs, phrases, and conjunctions that require the subjunctive in French!

The Subjunctive Often Requires Two Different Subjects

When the subject of a subordinate clause is the same as the subject of the main clause, French often uses an infinitive instead of the subjunctive.

Incorrect	Correct	English
Je veux que je parte.	Je veux partir.	I want to leave.
Tu as peur que tu tombes ?	Tu as peur de tomber ?	Are you scared you'll fall?
Je dois finir ça avant que je rentre chez moi.	Je dois finir ça avant de rentrer chez moi.	I have to finish this before I go home.

The Indicative vs. the Subjunctive in French

The subjunctive mood is often contrasted with another mood, the indicatif(indicative), which is used to indicate a statement of fact or certainty. Let's compare the two moods!

The Indicative vs. the Subjunctive

Indicative	Subjunctive
Vous êtes à l'heure. You're on time.	Il est important que vous soyez à l'heure. It's important that you be on time.
Je suis sûr que tu as raison. I'm sure that you're right.	Je ne suis pas sûr que tu aies raison. I'm not sure that you are right.

Notice how the sentences with the indicative in the first column express a statement of fact and certainty, while those in the second column, with the subjunctive, express necessity and doubt.

The Subjunctive in English

The subjunctive isn't used nearly as often in English as it is in French! Notice that the French subjunctive can be translated with the subjunctive in English in the first example above (that you be on time) but not in the second example (that you are right).

There is, however, a context where the subjunctive is used more in English: if-clauses with a verb in the past simple (e.g., if I were rich ...).

Learn more about the indicative mood in this article:

The French Indicative

Tenses of the Subjunctive Mood in French

There are four tenses of the subjunctive in French:

présent du subjonctif(present subjunctive)
passé du subjonctif(past subjunctive)
imparfait du subjonctif(imperfect subjunctive)
plus-que-parfait du subjonctif(pluperfect subjunctive)

Only the present and past subjunctive are used in contemporary French and are the tenses you'll hear and use in everyday conversations. The imperfect and pluperfect subjunctive are literary tenses typically found in novels and classical or historical written texts. It's not necessary to produce these tenses to become an advanced speaker of French, but you may want to be familiar with their forms and uses, especially if you read French literature.

Let's take a look at examples of the subjunctive in each tense!

Tenses of the Subjunctive Mood

Tense	French Example	English
Présent du subjonctif	Je m'attends à ce que mon frère arrive en retard.	I expect that my brother will arrive late.
Passé du subjonctif	Je suis triste que tu aies oublié mon anniversaire.	I'm sad that you forgot my birthday.
Imparfait du subjonctif	L'écrivain voulait que sa prose ressemblât à de la poésie.	The writer wanted his prose to sound like poetry.
Plus-que-parfait du subjonctif	Elle craignait que l'histoire ne fût déjà tombée dans l'oubli.	She feared that the story had already faded from memory.

When to Use the Present or Past Subjunctive

Only the present and past subjunctive are used in contemporary French. When deciding whether to use one or the other, you'll have to take into account the action of the subordinate clause relative to the main clause.

Present vs. Past Subjunctive Usage

Tense	The action in the subordinate clause happens ...	Main Clause	Subordinate Clause
Present Subjunctive	at the same time as the main clause	Il est important... It's important ...	que vous écoutiez attentivement. that you listen carefully.
Present Subjunctive	after the main clause	Je voudrais... I would like ...	que tu assistes à la réunion demain. you to attend the meeting tomorrow.
Past Subjunctive	before the main clause	Je suis surprise... I'm surprised ...	qu’elle soit partie sans dire au revoir. she left without saying goodbye.

Dive deeper into each tense of the subjunctive in French:

The Present Subjunctive in French

The Past Subjunctive in French

The Imperfect Subjunctive in French

The Pluperfect Subjunctive in French

Verbs and Phrases that Require the Subjunctive

The subjunctive is used in a subordinate clause when the main clause contains a verb or phrase expressing wishes, desires, necessity, emotions, opinions, uncertainty, and possibility. We'll take a look at common verbs and phrases for these different categories.

Let's start by looking at some common verbs and phrases that express wishes, desires, and necessity in French.

Verbs and Phrases Expressing Wishes, Desires, Necessity

Verb or Phrase	English
aimer que	to like that, to like when
avoir besoin que	to need
demander que	to ask that
désirer que	to want
exiger que	to demand (that)
ordonner que	to order
préférer que	to prefer that/for
s'attendre à ce que	to expect that
souhaiter que	to hope that
suggérer que	to suggest (that)
vouloir que	to want
il est essentiel que	it's essential that
il est important que	it's important that
il est nécessaire que	it's necessary that
il faut que	it's necessary that
il vaut mieux que	it'd be better if

The Verb Espérer

Attention !(Be careful!) Because the verb espérer(to hope) expresses a wish, you might assume it takes the subjunctive. However, in French, espéreris followed by the indicative!

examples
Il est essentiel que la conversation reste amicale entre nous. It's essential that the conversation between us remain friendly.
La loi exige que tous les citoyens paient des impôts. The law demands that every citizen pay taxes.
Nous souhaitons que vous réussissiez. We hope that you succeed.
Mes parents aimeraient que je fasse du théâtre. My parents would like me to do theater.

Stating how you feel about a certain event or situation requires the use of the subjunctive in French. Here are just a few common emotions that you'll use with the subjunctive.

Verbs and Phrases Expressing Emotions

Verb or Phrase	English
avoir peur que	to be scared that
craindre que	to fear that
être choqué que	to be shocked that
être content que	to be happy that
être déçu que	to be disappointed that
être désolé que	to be sorry that
être énervé que	to be annoyed that
être fâché que	to be mad that
être heureux que	to be happy that
être inquiet que	to be worried that
être ravi que	to be delighted that
être surpris que	to be surprised that
être triste que	to be sad that
regretter que	to regret that

examples
Je suis ravie qu'on puisse enfin fêter ça ensemble ! I'm delighted that we can finally celebrate this together!
Les étudiants sont contents que le semestre se passe bien. The students are happy the semester is going well.
Ma sœur est énervée que son ordinateur ne fonctionne pas. My sister is annoyed that her computer isn't working.
Je suis triste que tu ne répondes jamais à mes SMS. I'm sad that you never respond to my texts.

Stating your opinion about a certain event or situation will require the use of the subjunctive in French. Here are just a few phrases that might come in handy.

Phrases Expressing Opinions

Phrase	English
c'est bête que	it's a shame that, it's too bad that
c'est bien que	it's good that
c'est bizarre que	it's weird that
c'est dommage que	it's a shame that, it's too bad that
c'est étrange que	it's strange that
c'est formidable que	it's great that
c'est intéressant que	it's interesting that
c'est normal que	it's normal that
c'est surprenant que	it's surprising that

examples
C'est dommage que vous ne vous parliez plus. It's a shame that you don't talk to each other anymore.
C'est bizarre que le chien veuille sortir sous la pluie. It's weird that the dog wants to go out in the rain.
Est-ce normal que tu sois encore malade ? Is it normal that you're still sick?
C'est bien que je puisse me reposer un peu. It's good that I can rest a little.

The Verbs Penser and Croire

Attention !(Be careful!) Although the subjunctive is used with opinions, the verbs penser(to think) and croire(to believe) are always followed by the indicative when in the affirmative:

Je pense qu'il est surpris.(I think he’s surprised.)

You can think of it like this: in the affirmative, the main clause expresses confidence or certainty (I think he is …), so the indicative is used.

However, if these verbs are negated or used in a question, the subjunctive, the indicative, or the conditional can be used depending on the context. Compare the following negative sentences:

Mood	Example
Subjunctive	Je ne pense pas qu'ils finissent à temps. I don't think they'll finish in time.
Indicative	Je ne pense pas qu'ils finiront à temps. I don't think they'll finish in time.
Conditional	Je ne pensais pas qu'ils finiraient à temps. I didn't think they’d finish in time.

In the first example of the table, the use of the subjunctive in the subordinate clause conveys uncertainty or doubt, while the indicative and conditional in the second and third examples reflect a present or past perspective on a future event.

Here are some French verbs and phrases that express uncertainty and possibility about a situation or event.

Verbs and Phrases Expressing Uncertainty and Possibility

Verb or Phrase	English
douter que	to doubt that
ne pas être sûr que	to not be sure that
il est improbable que	it's improbable that
il est peu probable que	it's unlikely that, it's not very likely that
il est possible que	it's possible that
il n'est pas certain que	it's not certain that
il se peut que	it may be that
il se pourrait que	it could be that

examples
On doute qu'il sache quoi faire dans cette situation. We doubt that he knows what to do in this situation.
Je ne suis pas sûr qu'ils comprennent le suédois. I'm not sure that they understand Swedish.
Il est possible que je sois absent demain. It's possible that I'll be absent tomorrow.

Conjunctions that Require the Subjunctive

Certain conjunctions that indicate goals, consequences, fear, restrictions, and time require the subjunctive in French. Here are some common ones you might come across.

Conjunctions that Require the Subjunctive

Conjunction	English
à condition que	on the condition that, as long as
à moins que	unless
à supposer que	supposing that
afin que	so that
avant que	before
bien que	although
de crainte que	out of fear that, lest
de peur que	out of fear that, lest
de sorte que	so that
en admettant que	supposing that
en attendant que	until
en supposant que	supposing that
jusqu’à ce que	until
pour que	so that
pourvu que	provided that
quel que	whichever
quoi que	whatever
quoique	although
sans que	without

Avant Que vs. Après Que

Attention !(Be careful!) Although avant que (before) requires the subjunctive, après que(after) is followed by the indicative! To remember this, you can think of it like this: the event introduced by avant que hasn’t happened yet and is therefore a matter of possibility, so the subjunctive is used. On the other hand, the event introduced by après que has already happened; it’s a statement of fact, which is why the indicative is used.

examples
La souris s'est glissée la maison sans que personne ne la voie. The mouse snuck into the house without anyone seeing it.
À moins que tu ne te dépêches, on manquera le train. Unless you hurry, we're going to miss the train.
Quoique ce soit déjà la fin de l'hiver, il n'a pas encore neigé. Even though it's already the end of winter, it hasn't snowed yet.
Nous irons à la plage demain, à condition qu'il ne pleuve pas. We'll go to the beach tomorrow, as long as it doesn't rain.

Need Some Practice?

Try conjugating verbs in the présent du subjonctif and passé du subjonctif with our Conjugation Drill! With a little practice, these tenses will become a natural part of your conversations in French.