Subjunctive French Verbs for Beginners

What do you know about the subjunctive French? While we tend to lump the subjunctive in with its verb tense cousins, the subjunctive is technically considered a mood. No, not that kind of mood. Though maybe using it does make you feel happy or unhappy. Grammatical moods are all about the attitude — meaning the speaker’s attitude about the verb.

Le subjonctif has a reputation in French for being scary and hard to master. As you’ll see, the conjugation for regular verbs is pretty straightforward, but it can make irregular verbs even more irregular. But don’t worry. Today we’ll be exploring the French subjunctive mood (or, tense, as it’s commonly referred to), the subjunctive conjugation, and some tips for remembering when to use it.

The French subjunctive: What it is and when to use it

Like we said, the French subjunctive is one of the special verb forms, called moods, that is used to express or indicate some subjectivity, uncertainty, or unreality in the speaker’s mind. The French language requires us to use the subjunctive to speak about feelings like doubt or desire, or to talk about necessity, possibility, and judgment.

There are three themed groups that can make it easier to consider when trying to decide if you need the subjunctive in French:

Que and subjunctive variables

As you’ve probably noticed, all of the above expressions end in que. That is a pretty good indicator that the phrase requires the subjunctive conjugation.

If a phrase ends with the preposition de, then you would need to use the infinitive.

There are a few subjunctive variables. Meaning that some verbs that typically don’t require the subjunctive, like croire, do in fact require subjunctive conjugation in the negative.

For example:

• Je crois qu’il est sympa. (I think he’s nice.)

This sentence doesn’t require the subjunctive. But if there’s doubt, as in, je ne crois pas qu’il soit sympa (I don’t think he’s nice), you need to use the subjunctive conjugation.

Subjunctive French conjugation

Speaking of conjugation, it’s time for us to look at how to conjugate the subjunctive mood in French. The French subjunctive can be used in four different verb tenses (présent, passé composé, imparfait, and plus-que-parfait), but it most commonly used in the présent and passé composé.

Just like with other verb tenses, there are regular and irregular verbs. We’ll be looking at a few of each.

Regular subjunctive conjugation

Conjugating verbs ending in -er in the present tense of the subjunctive is easy. The conjugation for je/j’, tu, il/elle/on, and ils/elles is the same as the present tense of the indicative (indicatif).

For nous and vous, you have to use the imparfait forms. See below for the verb parler (to talk):

Like all verb tenses, there are irregular verbs. Some of the more common ones are faire, aller, avoir, and être. Like other irregular verbs, there are some identifiable patterns, but mostly you just have to memorize them.

Quick recap

The French subjunctive tense (or, mood) is used to express varied states of unreality or uncertainty. Think: judgments, wishes, possibilities, doubts, emotions or things that haven’t yet happened. While this tense seems to be a little scarier for French language beginners, and can potentially put you in a bad mood, remember — the more you practice, the easier it will come.