This French B1 lesson explains subjunctive feelings wishes step by step, with examples in French and English. Then practise with the worksheet on subjunctive feelings wishes and check yourself with the quiz.
Quick answer: French expresses wishes, joy, surprise and regret with a feeling expression, then que, then a new subject and a verb in the subjunctive: J’aimerais que tu viennes, Ça m’étonne qu’il soit parti. If the subject does not change, use an infinitive instead: Je suis ravie de partir.
Level: French B1 (CEFR intermediate) · Standards: CEFR B1, Spoken interaction
Subjunctive feelings wishes: the lesson
How do you express feelings and wishes in French?
To react to what someone else does, or to say what you want that person to do, French joins two clauses with que. The verb after que goes into the subjunctive.
The pattern
Feeling or wish + que + new subject + subjunctive. When the subject stays the same, drop que and use de + infinitive after a feeling, or the bare infinitive after vouloir, aimer, préférer.
| Meaning | French |
|---|---|
| wish | J’aimerais que / Je voudrais que / Je souhaite que + subjunctive |
| joy | Je suis ravie que / Je suis content que / Ça me fait plaisir que |
| surprise | Ça m’étonne que / Je suis surpris que |
| regret, worry | Je regrette que / J’ai peur que / Ça me gêne que |
In real life
J’aimerais que tu viennes à Annecy en juin. — I would like you to come to Annecy in June.
Ça m’étonne que Karim soit déjà parti. — It surprises me that Karim has already left.
Je suis ravie de partir en juin. — I am delighted to leave in June (same subject, no que).
How do you form the present subjunctive?
Take the ils form of the present, remove -ent, and add the endings below. Only nous and vous match the imperfect.
| 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 |
Other common irregular stems: pouvoir → puisse, savoir → sache, vouloir → veuille. Verbs such as venir and prendre change stem: que tu viennes, que nous venions.
Common mistake
English says “I want you to come” with an infinitive. French needs a full clause: Je veux que tu viennes. Never Je veux toi venir. Also, espérer que and penser que take the indicative: J’espère que tu vas bien.
Politeness
French speakers often soften a wish with the conditional: J’aimerais que vous m’aidiez sounds kinder than Je veux que vous m’aidiez, especially with a manager or a landlord.
Zoé’s tip
Ask yourself: “Do two different people appear?” If yes, use que and the subjunctive. If it is the same person, use the infinitive and relax.
Key points to remember
- Feeling or wish + que + new subject + subjunctive.
- Same subject: de + infinitive, or a bare infinitive after vouloir, aimer, préférer.
- Regular stem comes from the ils form: que tu parles, qu’ils parlent.
- Irregular: être (sois), avoir (aie), aller (aille), faire (fasse), pouvoir (puisse), savoir (sache).
- Espérer que and penser que take the indicative.
Wishes, Joy and Surprise with Que: frequently asked questions
When do you use the subjunctive after a feeling?
Use it when a feeling or wish is followed by que and a different subject, as in Je suis content que tu sois là. With the same subject, use de + infinitive instead.
What is the difference between J’aimerais que and Je veux que?
Both take the subjunctive. J’aimerais que is the polite, softened version, while Je veux que sounds like an order. Use the conditional with colleagues, clients and landlords.
Why does j’espère que not take the subjunctive?
Espérer expresses a hope about a fact seen as possible, so French uses the indicative: J’espère que tu viendras. Learners often add a subjunctive by analogy with je souhaite que, which is wrong.
How do you form the subjunctive of a regular verb?
Take the ils form of the present, drop -ent, and add -e, -es, -e, -ions, -iez, -ent. Parler gives que je parle, que nous parlions, qu’ils parlent.
Which verbs have irregular subjunctive forms?
The most useful are être (sois), avoir (aie), aller (aille), faire (fasse), pouvoir (puisse), savoir (sache) and vouloir (veuille). Learn them as whole sets.