This French 3 lesson explains present subjunctive formation step by step, with examples in French and English. Then practise with the worksheet on present subjunctive formation and check yourself with the quiz.
Quick answer: The French present subjunctive is built from the ils/elles form of the present tense: drop -ent and add -e, -es, -e, -ions, -iez, -ent. Nous and vous copy the imparfait forms. Seven common verbs break the pattern: être, avoir, aller, faire, pouvoir, savoir and vouloir. Memorize those seven and every other verb follows the rule.
Level: French 3 (high school, ACTFL Intermediate Low) · Standards: ACTFL Intermediate Low, WL 1.1 Interpersonal, WL 1.2 Interpretive, WL 1.3 Presentational
Present subjunctive formation: the lesson
How is the present subjunctive built?
The subjunctive is a mood, not a tense. It appears in a clause introduced by que after certain triggers, and this page covers only the forms. Our frame sentence is Il faut que… — “It is necessary that…”.
Rule: start from ils
Take the ils/elles form of the present indicative, remove -ent, then add six endings: -e, -es, -e, -ions, -iez, -ent.
| parler | finir | prendre | venir | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| que je | parle | finisse | prenne | vienne |
| que tu | parles | finisses | prennes | viennes |
| qu’il/elle | parle | finisse | prenne | vienne |
| que nous | parlions | finissions | prenions | venions |
| que vous | parliez | finissiez | preniez | veniez |
| qu’ils/elles | parlent | finissent | prennent | viennent |
Why do nous and vous change their stem?
For nous and vous, the subjunctive borrows the imparfait form. That is why verbs with two stems switch back and forth: Il faut que je boive but que nous buvions; que tu voies but que vous voyiez. Verbs in -ier show a double i: que nous étudiions.
Which seven verbs are irregular?
| Verb | je | tu | il | nous | vous | ils |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| être | sois | sois | soit | soyons | soyez | soient |
| avoir | aie | aies | ait | ayons | ayez | aient |
| aller | aille | ailles | aille | allions | alliez | aillent |
| faire | fasse | fasses | fasse | fassions | fassiez | fassent |
| pouvoir | puisse | puisses | puisse | puissions | puissiez | puissent |
| savoir | sache | saches | sache | sachions | sachiez | sachent |
| vouloir | veuille | veuilles | veuille | voulions | vouliez | veuillent |
In sentences
- Il faut que j’aille à la gare de Lyon-Perrache. — I have to go to the station.
- Il faut que nous soyons à Dakar avant la nuit. — We must be in Dakar before nightfall.
- Il faut qu’elle sache le code. — She needs to know the code.
Common mistake
English speakers keep the indicative: *Il faut que tu fais ton lit. Correct: Il faut que tu fasses ton lit. Also watch -er verbs: que tu parles looks identical to the indicative, so the clue is the trigger, not the ending.
Culture note
French speakers use the subjunctive every day without noticing: Il faut que j’y aille is a normal way to say “I have to go” when leaving a conversation.
Zoé’s tip
I write être, avoir, aller, faire, pouvoir, savoir, vouloir on a sticky note inside my pencil case. Seven rebels, one note, and every other verb obeys the ils rule.
Key points to remember
- Stem = ils form of the present minus -ent (ils prennent gives prenn-).
- Endings: -e, -es, -e, -ions, -iez, -ent.
- Nous and vous look like the imparfait: que nous prenions, que vous preniez.
- Seven irregular verbs: être, avoir, aller, faire, pouvoir, savoir, vouloir.
- The subjunctive almost always follows que in a second clause.
Building Subjunctive Forms Step by Step: frequently asked questions
How do you form the present subjunctive in French?
Take the ils form of the present tense, remove -ent, and add -e, -es, -e, -ions, -iez, -ent. For nous and vous, use the imparfait forms.
Which French verbs have an irregular subjunctive?
The seven most common are être, avoir, aller, faire, pouvoir, savoir and vouloir. Aller and vouloir keep their imparfait forms for nous and vous (allions, voulions).
Why is que always in front of the subjunctive?
The subjunctive normally sits in a second clause linked by que. In conjugation tables, learners write que je, que tu, qu’il to remember this.
Is the present subjunctive the same as the present indicative?
For -er verbs, je, tu, il and ils look the same in both moods. The difference appears with irregular verbs and with nous and vous in many verbs, so the trigger decides the mood.
How do you conjugate prendre in the subjunctive?
Start from ils prennent, so the stem is prenn-: que je prenne, que tu prennes, qu’il prenne. Nous and vous use the imparfait stem: prenions, preniez.