YES the subjunctive CAN be easy!

I've had quite a few people lately who said they would love to know a little bit more about the subjunctive and most people think “ what???!!!”  and then go into a textbook and start looking.

It's totally confusing, you read too much and you think "oh no!" 

So let's give you a little chance to use it for yourself - you'll realise it's far easier than you could ever possibly have thought.

The French subjunctive is easier than you think!

If you look at the subjunctive, you will see that the word might or even maybe are the idea of the subjunctive. Indeed, overall, it’s generally something that might happen or could happen.  It's not absolute certainty.

So you're talking about things that you know could be, might be, may be, possibilities and uncertainties,  which is actually a lot of the time.

Doubt, emotions and wants are the criteria for the subjunctive.

Doubt is one of the criteria and we also take emotions and wants/desires as well.

Let’s see some examples:

•  (doubt) Je doute que + subjunctive  >>> I doubt that
• (emotion) Je suis content que + subjunctive  >>> I am happy that

• (want) Je veux que + subjunctive  >>> I want 

Now, let’s see some examples:

• (doubt) Je doute que tu sois aussi fatigué que moi ! >>> I doubt you are as tired as I am!
• (emotion) Je suis content que tu regardes >>> I am happy you are watching.

• (want) Je veux que tu parles bien / apprennes >>> I want you to speak well / to learn.

In conclusion, whenever you want to express doubt, emotions, and wants you will use the subjunctive in French when in English you would require might or may. In both languages, you have the notion of uncertainty.

What are the triggers for the subjunctive in French?

You just have seen that the uncertainty is one trigger but there are others. For instance, chances are if you have 2 different subjects, you could use the subjunctive.

In our last examples, we had the “je” (I) in the first part and the “tu” (you) in the second part of the sentences.

If straight after it, you can identify the word “que”, it’s almost sure to be the subjunctive!

In English you would translate with “that” and it’s not an obligation. However, in French, you do require it!

Remember: never translate word for word - translate the idea.

What about conjugation? For ER or regular verbs, they slightly change. For the irregular ones, only learn the essential ones.

The French regular subjunctive: start with the present tense...

So, how do you conjugate the subjunctive in French? As long as you follow the formula, it should be simple.

First, you need to know the present tense since we will use it as our starting point. Indeed, you start by conjugating the present tense of our verb but only with the last subject: “ils / elles” (they in English). Let’s play with some examples:

• regarder: ils regardent  >>> They watch.
• boire: ils boivent  >>> They drink.
• manger: ils mangent  >>> They eat.
• connaître: ils connaissent  >>> They know.

The French subjunctive: remove the subject and the ending. 

Once, you have your verb, the next step is to remove not only the subject but also the end. As a result, you will obtain the “pure” root of your subjunctive. With our examples, we have:

• regarder >>>  regard 
• boire >>>  boiv  
• manger >>> mang  
• connaître >>>  connaiss 

What are the endings for the French subjunctive?

Finally, we add the corresponding endings of the subjunctive. These are:

• je / j          _______________ e
• tu             _______________ es
• il / elle       _______________ e 
• nous         _______________ ions
• vous          _______________ iez

• ils / elles   _______________ ent

Now, time to see some irregular verbs.

5 French irregular subjunctives to know

Irregular verbs imply to memorise the first person of the singular and plural in order to cover all of them…

Let’s focus on 5 of them: être (to be), avoir (to have), aller (to go), venir (to come), and faire (to make /do)

The subjunctive of the verb Être (to be)

• que je sois
• que tu sois
• qu’il / elle / on soit
• que nous soyons
• que vous soyez
• qu’ils / elles soient

The subjunctive of the verb AVOIR (to have)

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

The subjunctive of the verb ALLER (to go)

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

The subjunctive of the verb VENIR (to come)

• que je vienne
• que tu viennes
• qu’il / elle / on vienne
• que nous venions
• que vous veniez
• qu’ils / elles viennent
  
  

The subjunctive of the verb FAIRE (to do/make)

• que je fasse
• que tu fasses
• qu’il / elle / on fasse
• que nous fassions
• que vous fassiez
• qu’ils / elles fassent

If you feel like studying more the subject, I have these mini-lessons for you:

• How to express obligation and necessity with IL FAUT QUE
• How to express uncertainty with IL SE PEUT 

In conclusion, some elements trigger the subjunctive in French. If you wish to express a doubt, an emotion, or a desire, if the subject is not the same in the first part and second one of your sentence, and if the word “que” appears, you have all the ingredients for a subjunctive.

Regular subjunctives are very similar to the present tense except for the word “que” and a few details…On the contrary, irregular subjunctives clearly indicate this tense since they are unique.

Create your own examples expressing doubts, emotions, and wants to master the French subjunctive. After all, with practice, it gets easy!