French Grammar: Present Subjunctive of Irregular Verbs

Creative Commons Image via The LEAF Project

Creative Commons Image via The LEAF Project

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French Grammar: Present Subjunctive of Irregular Verbs

la grammaire française: les verbes irréguliers au présent du subjonctif

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The subjunctive is not a verb tense, but a mood. It is an alternative verb form that has to be used in certain circumstances.  “Mood” is actually a good way to think of the subjunctive, since it often expresses a particular emotional mood – sadness, happiness, anger, desire, hopefulness, uncertainty, doubt, denial, etc.

The mood (sometimes called the mode) of a verb expresses an attitude toward the verb or describes how it is used in the sentence. There are two moods in French: the indicative mood and the subjunctive mood.  The more common of the two moods is the indicative mood. The first forms of verbs learned in French are usually in the indicative mood. The indicative is used to indicate or express actions that definitely are taking place, did take place, or will take place. The subjunctive mood expresses the opposite of the indicative; it expresses what may happen.

Let’s compare the indicative and the subjunctive:

Indicative Subjunctive
Indicates or points something out Is subjective (not objective)
Is factual Not factual
Statement stands alone Statement can not stand alone
Is independent Is dependent on something

Studying the chart above can be helpful in learning the uses of the subjunctive as it compares to the indicative. The French subjunctive occurs primarily in dependent clauses. The dependent clause that contains the subjunctive usually follows a main clause that contains the indicative. The main and dependent clauses must have a different subject, and the clauses are linked by que (or qu’).

Click here to learn How to Form the Present Subjunctive of Regular Verbs.

Click here to learn How to Form the Present Subjunctive of Verbs with Two Stems.

Some irregular verbs have one (1) stem in the Present Subjunctive; other irregular verbs have two (2) stems in the Present Subjunctive.

a. The following irregular verbs have one (1) stem in the Present Subjunctive:

FAIRE : to do / to make

je fasse, tu fasses, il/elle/on fasse, nous fassions, vous fassiez, ils/elles fassent

FALLOIR : to be necessary

il faille

PLEUVOIR : to rain

il pleuve

POUVOIR : to be able / can

je puisse, tu puisses, il/elle/on puisse, nous puissions, vous puissiez, ils/elles puissent

SAVOIR : to know

je sache, tu saches, il/elle/on sache, nous sachions, vous sachiez, ils/elles sachent

b. The following irregular verbs have two (2) stems in the Present Subjunctive:

ALLER : to go

j’aille, tu ailles, il/elle/on aille, nous allions, vous alliez, ils/elles aillent

AVOIR : to have

j’aie, tu aies, il/elle/on ait, nous ayons, vous ayez, ils/elles aient

ÊTRE : to be

je sois, tu sois, il/elle/on soit, nous soyons, vous soyez, ils/elles soient

VALOIR : to be worth

je vaille, tu vailles, il/elle/on vaille, nous valions, vous valiez, ils/elles vaillent

VOULOIR : to want

je veuille, tu veuilles, il/elle/on veuille, nous voulions, vous vouliez, ils/elles veuillent

Adapt:

Je veux qu’ils soient contents.

I want them to be happy.

Il est surprenant que la bague vaille si peu.
It is surprising that the ring is worth so little.

Elle est contente que tu puisses lui rendre visite en automne.
She is happy that you (informal) can visit her in the Fall.

Il est important que nous sachions ce qui s’est passé.
It is important that we know what happened.

Le médecin suggère que je fasse plus d’exercice.

The doctor suggests that I do more exercise.

Il est normal qu’il pleuve au printemps.
It is normal that it rains in the spring.

Que la force soit avec toi.

May the force be with you.

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