Learn French Grammar: Subjunctive after Conjunctions of Condition

Grammar

The conjunctions of condition

A conjunction of condition introduces a subordinate clause that presents a requirement or a hypothesis the main clause depends on. French has a small set of these conjunctions, and each one triggers the subjunctive.

à condition que — provided that
pourvu que — provided that, as long as
à moins que — unless
pour peu que — if only, provided that
à supposer que — supposing that

The five conjunctions share the same grammatical behavior, and the choice between them depends on the meaning and the register. À condition que and pourvu que are the two most frequent, and both express a requirement that must be met for the main clause to hold.

Conjunctions of condition and their subjunctive forms

Conjunction	Meaning	Example
à condition que	provided that	J'accepte à condition qu'il s'excuse.
pourvu que	provided that	Nous partirons pourvu qu'il fasse beau.
à moins que	unless	Je viendrai à moins qu'il ne pleuve.
pour peu que	if only, provided that	Pour peu qu'il fasse un effort, il réussira.
à supposer que	supposing that	À supposer qu'il vienne, nous commencerons.
à condition que	provided that	À condition que tu sois prêt, on peut partir.

Conditional conjunctions and si compared

The conditional conjunctions and the conjunction si cover the same logical territory but produce different grammatical structures. The two systems do not combine in the same clause, and each one imposes its own mood.

The conjunction si plus the indicative: Je viendrai si tu es là. — the condition is presented as a plain possibility
À condition que plus the subjunctive: Je viendrai à condition que tu sois là. — the condition is presented as a requirement
The same contrast applies with pourvu que and à moins que

Si presents the condition as something the speaker treats as possible and factual. The other conjunctions present the condition as something the speaker requires or excepts, and the mood shifts to the subjunctive to mark that stance.

Examples

J'accepte à condition qu'il s'excuse.

À condition que triggers the subjunctive s'excuse. The reflexive pronoun stays attached to the verb.

Nous partirons pourvu qu'il fasse beau.

Pourvu que triggers the subjunctive, and faire takes the irregular stem fass-.

Je viendrai à moins qu'il ne pleuve.

The expletive ne appears after à moins que before the subjunctive pleuve. It does not negate the clause.

À condition que tu sois prêt, on peut partir.

Être takes the irregular subjunctive stem soi-, producing sois for the second-person singular.

Pour peu qu'il fasse un effort, il réussira.

Pour peu que triggers the subjunctive fasse. The expression presents the condition as minimal.

Subjunctive after Conjunctions of Condition (Le subjonctif après les conjonctions de condition)

What you’ll learn

Grammar

The conjunctions of condition

Conjunctions of condition and their subjunctive forms

Conditional conjunctions and si compared

Watch out for these

Examples

Exercises

The ne explétif after à moins que

Register and argumentative writing

What you’ll learn

Grammar

The conjunctions of condition

Conjunctions of condition and their subjunctive forms

Conditional conjunctions and si compared

Examples

Exercises

Related lessons

The ne explétif after à moins que

Register and argumentative writing