French Conjugation
Le Subjonctif Présent: Derivation Mechanics & Core Identity
Deriving the present subjunctive stem from the third‑person plural of the indicative and applying the regular endings.
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Deriving the present subjunctive stem from the third‑person plural of the indicative and applying the regular endings.
Conjugation
A New Mood: The Subjunctive
The indicative (facts), imperative (orders), and conditional (hypotheticals) have already been studied. The subjonctif is the mood of subjectivity: it is used to express doubt, necessity, desire, or emotion. This lesson presents the formation of the present subjunctive for regular verbs. Its usage after specific conjunctions and verbs will be treated in subsequent lessons.
Formation Rule (Regular Verbs)
| Step | Example: parler | Example: finir | Example: vendre |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1. Take the 3rd person plural (ils/elles) of the present indicative | ils parlent | ils finissent | ils vendent |
| 2. Remove -ent | parl- | finiss- | vend- |
| 3. Add the subjunctive endings | que je parle | que je finisse | que je vende |
Subjunctive Endings (Regular Verbs)
| Subject | Ending | Parler | Finir | Vendre |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| je / j' | -e | que je parle | que je finisse | que je vende |
| tu | -es | que tu parles | que tu finisses | que tu vendes |
| il / elle / on | -e | qu’il parle | qu’il finisse | qu’il vende |
| nous | -ions | que nous parlions | que nous finissions | que nous vendions |
| vous | -iez | que vous parliez | que vous finissiez | que vous vendiez |
| ils / elles | -ent | qu’ils parlent | qu’ils finissent | qu’ils vendent |
Two Stems for Nous and Vous
The nous and vous forms of the present subjunctive are derived from the stem of the present indicative nous form (the same stem used for the imparfait, see imparfait stem formations).
- Nous parlons → que nous parlions
- Nous finissons → que nous finissions
- Nous vendons → que nous vendions
This means that for -ir and -re verbs, the stem used for nous and vous differs from that of the other persons.
Pronunciation
The singular forms (je, tu, il) and the third‑person plural (ils) are pronounced identically: parle, parles, parle, parlent all sound like [paʀl]. The nous and vous forms are audibly distinct: parlions [paʀljɔ̃], parliez [paʀlje].
Examples
- Il faut que je finisse ce rapport avant midi.The expression Il faut que is a common trigger for the subjunctive; finir gives que je finisse.
- Je suis content que vous parliez français si bien.Parler in the vous form of the subjunctive: que vous parliez.
Related searches
These are the main phrases this lesson covers: