French Grammar Rules What is the Subjunctive Mood

French Grammar Rules What is the Subjunctive Mood Suzy S. Confused about conjugating verbs in the subjunctive mood? Tutor  Carol Beth L.  shares how to conjugate them and when you need to Le subjonctif is one of the most notorious subjects in French grammar  for non-native speakers of French. It is a mood  that expresses uncertainty and is often connected with feelings, emotions, wishes, or desires about a particular event. In fact, we  English-speakers also have a subjunctive mood, but we dont often use it or realize when we do use it.  Heres an example: It is imperative that you remain with the teacher at all times. In this context, remaining with the teacher is important; it is a set rule that the listener is expected and asked to follow. But it is possible that, in spite of the speakers words, the listener might disobey. The verb “remain,” in this case, would therefore be considered an example of the subjunctive. Regular Verb Conjugations in the Subjunctive As with other verb tenses, the formation of the subjunctive in French grammar follows set patterns for regular -er, -ir, and -re verbs. To form the subjunctive conjugation of a verb, take the present tense 3rd person plural ending of that verb, and add on the following  endings: je ?  -e tu ?  -es il/elle/on  ?  -e nous ?  -ions vous ?  -iez ils/elles ?  -ent Note that many of the subjunctive forms for er verbs are the same as for le present. This makes it much easier to correctly use; if youre wrong about whether it should be in the subjunctive, people can interpret it as the present tense that would often likely take its place. Here are examples demonstrating regular formations of le subjonctif: er verbs: (e.g.  aimer) que jaime que tu aimes quil/elle/on aime que nous aimions que vous aimiez quils/elles aiment ir verbs: (e.g. finir) que je finisse que tu finisses quil/elle/on finisse que nous finissions que vous finissiez quils/elles finissent re verbs: (rendre) que je rende que tu rendes quil/elle/on rende que nous rendions que vous rendiez quils/elles rendent Irregular Verb Conjugations Irregular verbs sometimes have their own, irregular roots. Here are a few examples: aller ?  aill- avoir ?  ai- être ?  soi- faire ?  fass- venir ?  vienn- pouvoir ?  puiss- For être and avoir, note that when the “i” is doubled in the nous  and vous  forms, it turns into a “y.” So for these forms, you would write “nous soyons,” “vous soyez,” “nous ayons,” and “vous ayez.” For some irregular verbs, you can still look at the 3rd person plural present tense to find the subjunctive root. For example: (infinitive  ?  3rd person plural present, root) connaître ? ils connaissent, connaiss- mettre ?  ils mettent, mett- Dont rely on this being the case 100% of the time, though. If youre not sure about a new irregular verb, you might want to look up the root to verify. When to Use the Subjunctive In French, there are  a number of signals and situations to use the subjunctive. A phrase using the subjunctive will almost always be preceded by a que. Look for phrases such as: Je veux que (I want) Jespère que (I hope that) On craint que (We fear that) (It is feared that) In context, here are a few sentences using le subjonctif: Je veux que tu viennes avec moi. (I want you to come with me.) Jespere quil ne soit pas malade. (I hope he isnt sick.) On craint que vous ne puissiez pas partir. (Were afraid you wont be able to leave.) Note, however, that some sentences may have  a que clause but not use the subjunctive. Heres an example: Il est vrai quon est a San Francisco.  (It is true that we are in San Francisco.) The subjunctive is not used in this sentence, because there is no implied uncertainty. The speaker is in San Francisco,  it is a simple fact; so the simple present is called for in the second part of the sentence. Time to Practice! Try conjugating the subjunctive in the following sentences: Elles veulent quon ________________ (aller) en France. Il faut que je ________________ (faire) mes devoirs. Jespere que tu ________________ (pouvoir) venir. Quand on est en France, il faut que nous ________________ (parler) français. Je craint quils ne ________________ (venir) pas avec nous. Il faut que vous ________________ (finir) de préparer le déjeuner. Were your answers as follows? aille fasse puisses parlions viennent finissiez If not, keep practicing. If so, good job so far. The next step is to practice correctly using and identifying where to use  le subjonctive  when you speak and write in French, so that you will be consistent using it in context. It sometimes can take time, but dont let that discourage you! If you find learning this aspect of French grammar  difficult at the beginning, you wont be the first. Looking for more  practice with le subjonctif? Taking lessons with a French tutor  can be the best way to hone your language skills! Whether you take French lessons online or in-person, the personalized instruction youll receive will take your French skills to the next level. Sign up for a French tutor today! Post Author:  Carol Beth L. Carol Beth L. teaches  French lessons in San Francisco, CA. She has her Masters in French language education from the Sorbonne University in Paris and has been teaching since 2009.  Learn more about Carol Beth here! Photo by  Luc Mercelis Interested in Private Lessons? 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