Learn French Conjugation: Le Subjonctif Présent: Triggers of Desire and Volition

Conjugation

The verbs of desire and volition

A small set of verbs expresses a desire, a wish, or a preference, and each one triggers the subjunctive in the subordinate clause it introduces. The main clause carries the desire, and the subordinate clause carries the action that is wished for.

vouloir que — to want that
souhaiter que — to wish that
désirer que — to desire that
préférer que — to prefer that
aimer mieux que — to prefer that
tenir à ce que — to insist that

Each verb presents the action of the subordinate as desired or wished, rather than as a fact. The subordinate verb takes the subjunctive, and the derivation rules from the earlier lesson apply without modification.

The main triggers of desire and volition

Expression	Register	Example
vouloir que	neutral	Je veux que tu viennes.
souhaiter que	neutral to formal	Je souhaite que tu sois là.
désirer que	formal	Elle désire que nous partions.
préférer que	neutral	Je préfère que tu restes.
aimer mieux que	neutral	J'aime mieux qu'il parte.
tenir à ce que	formal	Il tient à ce que nous venions.

The subordinate subject rule

The subjunctive construction with que is used only when the subordinate clause has its own subject, different from the subject of the main verb. When the two subjects are the same, French replaces the subordinate clause with the infinitive.

Je veux que tu viennes. — the main subject is je, and the subordinate subject is tu
Je veux venir. — the two subjects are identical, so the infinitive is used
Elle préfère que nous partions. — the main subject is elle, the subordinate subject is nous
Elle préfère partir. — the two subjects are identical, so the infinitive is used

A clause introduced by que always carries its own subject, and the infinitive replaces that clause whenever the subordinate action would be performed by the same person as the main verb. The rule applies to every verb of desire and to the impersonal expressions of necessity.

Examples

Je veux que tu viennes avec nous.

Vouloir que triggers the subjunctive. The main subject is je, and the subordinate subject is tu, so the clause is required.

Je veux venir avec vous.

The two subjects are identical, so French uses the infinitive venir instead of a subordinate clause.

Elle souhaite que nous soyons présents.

Souhaiter que triggers the subjunctive. Être has the irregular stem soi-, producing soyons for the first-person plural.

Il préfère que tu restes ici.

Préférer que triggers the subjunctive. The subordinate subject is tu, distinct from the main subject il.

Nous désirons que vous veniez demain.

Désirer que belongs to a formal register and triggers the subjunctive. Venir uses the stem ven- for the second-person plural.

Le Subjonctif Présent: Triggers of Desire and Volition (Le subjonctif présent : le désir et la volonté)

What you’ll learn

Conjugation

The verbs of desire and volition

The main triggers of desire and volition

The subordinate subject rule

Watch out for these

Examples

Exercises

Desire and certainty compared

Negated and interrogated desire verbs

What you’ll learn

Conjugation

The verbs of desire and volition

The main triggers of desire and volition

The subordinate subject rule

Examples

Exercises

Related lessons

Desire and certainty compared

Negated and interrogated desire verbs