LE SUBJONCTIF
MADAME LISKA
ABOUT.COM/FRENCHLANGUAGE
LE CONCEPT
• THE SUBJUNCTIVE IS A SIMPLE FRENCH VERB MOOD WHICH INDICATES ACTIONS THAT ARE
SUBJECTIVE. IT IS NEARLY ALWAYS FOUND IN DEPENDENT CLAUSES INTRODUCED BY QUE.
EXAMPLES:
JE VEUX QUE LUC LE VOIE.
I WANT LUC TO SEE IT.
C'EST DOMMAGE QU'IL NE VIENNE PAS.
THE MOOD TENSE
• DEFINITION:
• MOOD REFERS TO THE SIX FRENCH VERB FORMS WHICH EXPRESS THE ATTITUDE OF THE SPEAKER TOWARD THE ACTION/CONDITION
OF THE VERB - HOW LIKELY OR FACTUAL THE STATEMENT IS.
FRENCH MOODS:
INDICATIF – INDICATIVE – PRESENT, FUTURE, PAST, IMPERFECT
SUBJONCTIF - SUBJUNCTIVE
CONDITIONNEL - CONDITIONAL
IMPÉRATIF - IMPERATIVE
Mood
refers to the verb forms that indicate the attitude of the speaker toward the action/state of the verb; that is, how likely or f
EXAMPLES
Modes personnels
Personal moods
Personal moods make a distinction between grammatical persons; that is, they are conjugated.
1.
Indicatif
Indicative
2.
Subjonctif
Subjunctive
3.
Conditionnel
Conditional
4.
Impératif
Imperative
Indicates a fact the most common je fais
mood.
Expresses
subjectivity,
je fasse
doubt, or
unlikelihood.
Describes a condit
je ferais
ion or possibility.
Gives a
fais-le !
command.
I do
I do
I would do
do it!
USES…
• THE SUBJUNCTIVE MOOD IS USED TO EXPRESS ACTIONS OR IDEAS WHICH ARE SUBJECTIVE OR
OTHERWISE UNCERTAIN: WILL/WANTING, EMOTION, DOUBT, POSSIBILITY, NECESSITY, JUDGMENT. IT
IS NEARLY ALWAYS FOUND IN DEPENDENT CLAUSES INTRODUCED BY QUE OR QUI, AND THE
SUBJECTS OF THE DEPENDENT AND MAIN CLAUSES ARE USUALLY DIFFERENT.
JE VEUX QUE TU LE FASSES.
I WANT YOU TO DO IT.
IL FAUT QUE NOUS PARTIONS.
IT IS NECESSARY THAT WE LEAVE.
CONJUGATING – REGULAR VERBS
Unlike using the French subjunctive, conjugating it is relatively straightforward.
To conjugate all regular verbs ending -ER, -IR, and -RE, as well as some irregular* ones,
take the 3rd person plural ils form of the present tense of the verb, drop the -ent ending to
find the stem, and add the subjunctive endings:
CONJUGATING – REGULAR VERBS
parler
ils parlent
stem parlSubjunctive endings
... que je
-e
parle
... que tu
-es
parles
... qu'
-e
parle
il/elle/on
... que nous -ions
parlions
... que vous -iez
parliez
choisir
choisissent
choisiss-
rendre
rendent
rend-
partir
partent
part-
sortir
sortent
sort-
mettre
mettent
mett-
choisisse
choisisses
rende
rendes
parte
partes
sorte
sortes
mette
mettes
choisisse
rende
parte
sorte
mette
choisissions
choisissiez
rendions
rendiez
partions
partiez
sortions
sortiez
mettions
mettiez
... qu' ils/elles -ent
choisissent
rendent
partent
sortent
mettent
parlent
*Many verbs which are irregular in the present tense are regular in the subjunctive, including all -IR verbs
conjugated like partir and sortir and -RE verbs conjugated like mettre.
Stem-changing verbs and
most irregular verbs follow the same pattern as regular verbs for the singular conjugations
(je, tu, il/elle/on) as well as the third person plural (ils/elles):
the subjunctive stem is derived from the present tense conjugation of ils.
boire
present
ils
tense:
stem
envoyer prendre
venir
boivent envoient prennent viennent
boiv-
envoi-
prenn-
vienn-
... que je -e
boive
envoie
prenne
vienne
... que tu -es
boives envoies
prennes viennes
...
qu'il/elle/ -e
on
boive
prenne
...
-ent
qu'ils/elles
boivent envoient prennent viennent
subjunctive endings
envoie
vienne
MORE STEM-CHANGING VERBS
However, the nous and vous forms of the subjunctive find their stems in the present tense conjugation of nous:
present
nous
buvons
envoyons
prenons
venons
tense:
stem
buv-
envoy-
pren-
ven-
subjunctive endings
... que nous
-ions
buvions
envoyions
prenions
venions
... que vous
-iez
buviez
envoyiez
preniez
veniez
WEIRD IS AN ACRONYM. EACH LETTER REPRESENTS A
USAGE OF THE SUBJUNCTIVE
• W – WANT “ JE VEUX QUE TU FASSES LA VAISSELLE.”
• E – EMOTION “ELLE EST HEUREUSE QU’IL FASSE LA VAISSELLE.”
• I – IMPERSONAL EXPRESSION “IL FAUT QU’IL FASSE LA VAISSELLE.”
• R – REGRET “JE REGRETTED QU’IL NE FASSE PAS LA VAISSELLE.”
• D – DOUBT “ELLES DOUTENT QU’IL FASSE LA VAISELLE.”
DIAGNOSTIC QUIZ
• HTTP://FRENCH.ABOUT.COM/LIBRARY/VERB/BL-SUBJUNCTIVE-QUIZ.HTM