B1 · The subjunctive
When to use the subjunctive
Here the conjunction carries the mood; in English it carries nothing.
At a glance
- Remember
- The word in front decides, not the feeling.
- Form
- il faut queone has to
- Signal words
- il faut que
- bien que
- pour que
- avant que
- Trap
- Wrong:J’espère qu’il vienne.Right:J’espère qu’il viendra.
Your turn
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The form
How the forms are built
Each row gives the meaning first, then the form in French. The colours show what changes from one form to the next.
stem (regular) stem (irregular) tense marker person ending ending for tense and person negation
| one has to | il faut que |
| although | bien que |
| so that | pour que |
| before | avant que |
| I don’t think that | je ne pense pas que |
| I hope that | j’espère que |
| that I come | que je vienne |
| that you come | que tu viennes |
| that he come | qu’il vienne |
| that we come | que nous venions |
| that you come (plural, polite) | que vous veniez |
| that they come | qu’ils viennent |
The rules one by one
The form this topic is aboutThe word that calls for it
Will, necessity and feeling trigger the subjunctive.
Je suis content que tu sois là.I am glad you are here.
bien que, pour que and avant que always take it.
Bien qu’il fasse froid, nous sortons.Although it is cold, we are going out.
espérer and an affirmative penser take the indicative.
J’espère qu’il viendra.I hope he will come.
Negated, penser flips into the subjunctive.
Je ne pense pas qu’il vienne.I don’t think he is coming.
Example sentences
Bien que ce soit cher, je le prends.Although it is expensive, I am taking it.
Je te le dis pour que tu comprennes.I am telling you so that you understand.
Il vaut mieux que nous partions avant la pluie.We had better leave before the rain.
J’espère que vous allez bien.I hope you are well.
The trap English speakers fall into
Watch out
Two conjunctions look alike and behave oppositely. avant que takes the subjunctive and après que takes the indicative — what is still ahead is not yet true, what is over is. English marks neither, so both have to be learnt as facts about the words. And espérer takes the indicative despite meaning «hope», while souhaiter, which means much the same, takes the subjunctive.
The full explanation
Read it all · about 1 min
After will and necessity: il faut que, je veux que, il vaut mieux que, j'aimerais que. After feeling: je suis content que, c'est dommage que, j'ai peur que. After doubt and after a negated opinion: je ne pense pas que, je doute que, il n'est pas sûr que.
Then a set of conjunctions, with no exceptions at all: bien que, pour que, avant que, jusqu'à ce que, à moins que, sans que.
That last group is the one to look at, because English conjunctions carry no mood whatsoever. «Although it is cold», «before he arrives», «so that you understand», «unless it rains» — every one of those is a plain indicative, and nothing about the conjunction changes the verb. In French the conjunction is the instruction: bien qu'il fasse froid, avant qu'il arrive, pour que tu comprennes.
So the practical method is not to ask whether you feel doubtful. It is to recognise the word in front and let it decide, the way you already let «that he be» be decided by «insist».
Not after these: parce que, pendant que, après que, je pense que, j'espère que. espérer is the famous exception, and English speakers are well placed for it: «I hope that he comes» is an ordinary indicative in English too.
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The verbs on this page, in every form: être · venir · faire · dire · prendre · aller · partir · valoir