Le Subjonctif Présent — Formation
Build the present subjunctive from two stems (ils-form and nous-form). Learn the six endings and the eight essential irregular subjunctive forms: être, avoir, aller, faire, pouvoir, savoir, vouloir, venir.
A lesson of French B1 — Intermediate, in Subjonctif & Conditionnel, about 10 minutes.
By the end of this lesson, you will form the present subjunctive of regular and common irregular verbs, and recognize it on sight in written French.
What Is the Subjunctive?
The subjonctif is not a tense — it is a mood. While the indicative mood states facts (il parle — he speaks), the subjunctive expresses subjective reality: wishes, emotions, doubts, and obligations. It appears almost always after the word que.
Je veux qu'il parle. — I want him to speak. Il faut que tu finisses. — You need to finish. Je doute qu'elle vienne. — I doubt she will come.
English has traces of the subjunctive ("I suggest that he be present"), but French uses it far more systematically.
Formation: The Two-Stem System
For most verbs, the present subjunctive is built from two stems:
- ils/elles present form → remove -ent → use for: je, tu, il/elle/on, ils/elles
- nous present form → remove -ons → use for: nous, vous
Then add these endings: -e, -es, -e, -ions, -iez, -ent
Regular -er verb: parler (to speak)
| ils parlent → parl- | nous parlons → parl- |
|---|---|
| que je parle | que nous parlions |
| que tu parles | que vous parliez |
| qu'il/elle parle | qu'ils/elles parlent |
Observation: For regular -er verbs, the subjunctive looks identical to the present indicative (except nous/vous). Context and triggers identify it.
Regular -ir verb: finir (to finish)
ils finissent → finiss- | nous finissons → finiss-
| que je finiss |
|---|