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Subjonctif
Subjonctif
Some irregular verbs and some verbs with spelling changes use two
different stems (the verb forms to which endings are added) to form the present
subjunctive, as shown in Table 2.
The ils stem of the present tense for je, tu, il/elle/on, ils/elles
The nous form of the present tense for nous and vous
Remember that the subjunctive form of the verb must be joined to another clause
by que.
The subjunctive is used after verbs and expressions of doubt, denial, and disbelief.
The indicative tenses, which state facts (present, passé composé, imperfect, and
future) are used after verbs and expressions of certainty and probability. When these
verbs and expressions, shown in Table , are used in the negative or the interrogative,
they imply uncertainty or doubt and require the subjunctive. On the contrary, when
doubt is negated, certainty or probability exists and the indicative is used:
Subjunctive: Il doute que je fasse de mon mieux. (He doubts that I'll do my
best.)
Future: Il ne doute pas que je ferai de mon mieux. (He doesn't doubt that I'll do
my best.)
The subjunctive expresses an action viewed as potential and whose realization is
doubted or uncertain. The desired purpose or end may never be met. You can sense a
distinct difference in mental outlook between the indicative il est probable (it is probable)
and the subjunctive il est possible (it is possible).
Il est probable que tu réussiras. (It is probable that you will succeed.)
Il est possible que tu réussisses. (It is possible that you will succeed.)
That same difference exists between the indicative il paraît (it appears) and the
subjunctive il semble (it seems).
The speaker has no doubt: Crois‐tu qu'elle dit la vérité? (Do you believe she is
telling the truth?)
The speaker has doubts: Crois‐tu qu'elle dise la vérité? (Do you believe she is
telling the truth?)
The subjunctive is used in the clause following verbs expressing a wish, request,
command, permission, prohibition, preference, or desire:
aimer mieux (prefer)
commander (order)
conseiller (advise)
consentir (consent)
demander (ask)
défender (forbid)
désirer (desire)
empêcher (prevent)
exiger (demand)
insister (insist)
ordonner (order)
permettre (permit)
préférer (prefer)
souhaiter (wish)
suggérer (suggest)
vouloir (want)
Consider the following examples of using the subjunctive after a wish or command:
The subjunctive is used after verbs and expressions of emotion and feeling, as in the
following:
content(e) (content)
désolé(e) (sorry)
embarrassé (embarrassed)
ennuyé(e) (annoyed)
enchanté(e), ravi(e) (delighted)
étonné(e) (astonished)
fâché(e) (angry)
fier (fière) (proud)
flatté(e) (flattered)
furieux(euse) (furious)
gêné(e) (bothered)
heureux(euse) (happy)
irrité(e), énervé(e) (irritated)
malheureux(euse) (unhappy)
mécontent(e) (displeased)
surpris(e) (surprised)
triste (sad)
Use the subject pronoun + être (conjugated) + adjective + que + …: Je suis triste
qu'il soit malade. (I'm sad that he's sick.)
Use avoir instead of être with peur (fear) and honte (shame): Il a honte que
vous pleuriez. (He is ashamed that you are crying.)
Conjunctions are words that connect and relate vocabulary words and pronouns and
that connect two clauses in a sentence. They are invariable; that is, their spelling never
changes. The subjunctive is used after conjunctions that express the following:
Concession: bien que (although)
Il ira bien qu'il soit malade. (He'll go, although he's sick.)
Negation: sans que (without)
Il est arrivé sans qu'elle le sache. (He arrived without her knowing it.)
après que (after)
aussitôt que (as soon as)
dès que (as soon as)
parce que (because)
pendant que (while)
peut‐être que (perhaps)
puisque (since)
tandis que (while, whereas)
The subjunctive is not a tense (which indicates time) but can be put into a time frame.
The present subjunctive is the most prevalent and expresses both present and future
time.
The present subjunctive refers to actions in the present or the future: Il est possible que
je parte demain. (It's possible that I will leave tomorrow.)
The subjunctive is needed when all of the following conditions are met:
The sentence must contain two different clauses with two different subjects.
The clauses must be joined by que (that) or, in special instances, by qui.
One of the clauses must show wishing, wanting, need, necessity, emotion, doubt,
or denial.
A French sentence using the subjunctive may have a differing English syntax that often
omits the word “that” and uses an infinitive instead: Il est nécessaire que tu arrives tôt.
(You have to arrive early. It is necessary that you arrive early.)