Subjunctive Grammar - Lesson 1/1
Lesson 1
The subjunctive mood is used to talk about something uncertain. This could be will/wanting, emotion, doubt, possibility, necessity or judgment. An example of this is 'je veux que tu viennes ici'='I want you to come here'.
To form the present subjunctive tense, just use this formula:
Subject + Present tense verb + Que/Qui + Subject + Present subjunctive verb
We get that it sounds difficult, but with time, you'll learn how it's formed, and when to use it. Practice makes perfect!
All you have to do is say the person ('je' for example), then the present tense verb, then 'que' or 'qui', and finally the subject of whatever you're talking about, and the present subjunctive of what you want to happen. Click here to scroll down to some examples.
In case you were wondering, here's the conjugation for the present subjunctive:
-
Start with the present tense ils conjugation of the verb
-
Drop –ent to find the subjunctive stem
-
Add the appropriate subjunctive ending: -e, -es, -e, -ions, -iez, -ent
Here's a handy list of some verbs that use the subjunctive:
aimer mieux que to like better / to prefer that
commander que to order that
demander que to ask (someone to do something)
désirer que to desire that
donner l'ordre que to order that
empêcher que* to prevent (someone from doing something)
éviter que* to avoid
exiger que to demand that
il est à souhaiter que it is to be hoped that
il est essentiel que it is essential that
il est important que it is important that
il est naturel que it is natural that
il est nécessaire que it is necessary that
il est normal que it is normal that
il est temps que it is time that
il est urgent que it is urgent that
il faut que it is necessary that
il vaut mieux que it is better that
interdire que to forbid that
s'opposer que to oppose that
ordonner que to order that
permettre que to permit that
préférer que to prefer that
proposer que to propose that
recommander que to recommend
souhaiter que to wish that
suggérer que to suggest that
tenir à ce que to insist that
vouloir que to want that
*These verbs are followed by the ne explétif:
Évitez qu'il ne parte.
Examples:
Je ne connais personne qui veuille m'aider.
I don't know anyone who wants to help me.
Il n'y a rien que nous puissions faire.
There's nothing that we can do.
Y a-t-il quelqu'un qui puisse m'aider ?
Is there someone who can help me?
J'aimerais inventer quelque chose qui fasse une différence.
I'd like to invent something that will make a difference.