How French works
The subjunctive is a verb form which is used not so much to report facts as to reveal the speaker's attitude towards the facts. It is used after constructions expressing notions such as possibility, doubt, need, wishing, feeling, opinion or hypothesis.
Unlike in English where it is only used in a handful of set expressions such as if I were you, in French it is very common and used in all forms of language, informal as well as formal.
The subjunctive is used in three main contexts after a subordinate clause introduced by que:
When the main clause expresses an idea of uncertainty (including possibility, doubt improbability and impossibility). Constructions include:
| French | English |
|---|---|
| il est possible que | it is possible that |
| il y a des chances que | it is possible that |
| il se peut que | it is possible that |
| il est peu probable que | it is unlikely that |
| il y a peu de chances que | it is unlikely that |
| il n’est pas question que | there is no chance that |
| il est impossible que | it is impossible that |
Il n'est pas question qu'elle aille au travail aujourd'hui
There's no way that she's going to work today
Il est possible qu'il ait été au bureau mercredi
It's possible that he was in the office on Wednesday
| French | English |
|---|---|
| il faut que | it is necessary that |
| avoir besoin que | to need |
| il est nécessaire que | it is necessary that |
| s’attendre à ce que | to expect that |
| avoir envie que | to want |
| vouloir que | to want |
| souhaiter que | to wish that |
But il est probable takes the indicative:
Il est probable qu'elle a dit ça
It's likely that she said that
When the main clause expresses an idea of personal will (including wishing, prefering, needing and commanding). Constructions include:
J'aimerais mieux qu'il aille au bureau mercredi
I would prefer it if he went to the office on Wednesday
Il faut que tu viennes immédiatement
You must come immediately
Note an important exception to this rule: espérer que takes the indicative :
J'espère que tu viendras immédiatement
I hope you will come immediately
When the main clause expresses a sense of personal interpretation (involving emotional feelings and opinions):
| French | English |
|---|---|
| avoir peur / craindre que | to be afraid that |
| être content / heureux que | to be happy that |
| il est dommage que | it’s a shame that |
| il est / n’est pas normal que | it’s right / not right that |
| il est utile / urgent que | It’s a good thing / urgent that |
| il est temps/ juste que | It’s time / fair that |
| peu importe que | It doesn’t matter that |
| il vaut mieux que | It would be better that |
Je regrette qu'il n'ait pas été au bureau mercredi
I'm sorry he wasn't in the office on Wednesday
Il a fait cela par crainte qu'elle n'apprenne qu'il n'était pas au bureau mercredi
He did this for fear that she would find out that he wasn't in the office on Wednesday