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Grammar
Objective: Use the subjunctive after emotional expressions such as craindre que, regretter que, and être surpris que, and distinguish the emotional register from simple statement.
| Emotion | Trigger | Example |
|---|---|---|
| fear | craindre que | Je crains qu'il ne vienne. |
| fear | avoir peur que | J'ai peur qu'il ne soit trop tard. |
| regret | regretter que | Je regrette qu'il soit parti. |
| surprise | être surpris que | Je suis surpris qu'il accepte. |
| relief | être soulagé que | Je suis soulagé qu'il aille mieux. |
| joy | être ravi que | Je suis ravi que tu viennes. |
| sadness | être triste que | Elle est triste qu'il parte. |
| anger |
Craindre que triggers the subjunctive, so the subordinate verb takes the form vienne. The indicative vient would present the absence as a fact rather than as a feared possibility.
Regretter que triggers the subjunctive, and the past action uses the subjonctif passé sois parti. The auxiliary takes the subjunctive form, and the participle follows.
The verb craindre triggers the subjunctive vienne, and the ne before the verb is the stylistic marker of fear.
The verb avoir peur triggers the subjunctive soit. The ne before the verb is the expletive marker, not a negation.
The past action takes the subjonctif passé soit parti. The verb of regret triggers the mood, and the auxiliary carries the subjunctive form.
Être surpris que triggers the subjunctive, producing soyons for the first-person plural.
The verb aller uses the irregular subjunctive stem aill-, producing aille for the third-person singular.
7 exercises · about 11 minutes
| être en colère que |
| Il est en colère qu'on mente. |
Être surpris que triggers the subjunctive, producing soyons for the first-person plural. The indicative sommes would present the presence as a plain fact rather than as a source of surprise.
Emotional expressions built on être plus an adjective trigger the subjunctive, and the verb of the subordinate clause takes the form viennes.
The expression être en colère que triggers the subjunctive mente, which uses the irregular stem ment- from ils mentent.
The completed success takes the subjonctif passé aies réussi. The auxiliary avoir takes the subjunctive form.
The negative subordinate clause takes the subjunctive réponde. The ne here is a real negation, unlike the expletive ne after verbs of fear.