Subordinate Clauses with the Subjunctive (for "pour que", "bien que", etc.)

What is the subjunctive and what are subordinate clauses that use it?

The subjunctive is a verb mood (not a tense) that expresses the speaker’s attitude toward an action: wish, doubt, emotion, necessity, possibility, or purpose. A subordinate clause with the subjunctive is a dependent clause (often introduced by que or a subordinating conjunction like pour que, bien que, avant que) whose verb must be in the subjunctive because the main clause expresses one of those attitudes.

Examples:
- Je veux que tu viennes. (I want you to come.) — desire -> subjunctive
- Il doute qu’elle soit là. (He doubts that she’s there.) — doubt -> subjunctive
- Bien qu’il pleuve, nous sortons. (Although it’s raining, we’re going out.) — concession -> subjunctive

When do I use the subjunctive in subordinate clauses?

Use the subjunctive when the subordinate clause follows a main clause that expresses one of these categories:

- Volition/will (want, prefer, demand):
- Je veux que tu partes. (I want you to leave.)
- Elle préfère que nous attendions. (She prefers that we wait.)

- Necessity/obligation:
- Il faut que tu fasses tes devoirs. (You must do your homework.)
- Il est nécessaire que nous soyons prêts. (It’s necessary that we be ready.)

- Emotion/feeling:
- Je suis content que tu sois venu. (I’m glad you came.)
- Il regrette que nous ne puissions pas aider. (He regrets that we cannot help.)

- Doubt/possibility/uncertainty:
- Je doute qu’il ait raison. (I doubt that he is right.)
- Il est possible qu’elle parte demain. (It’s possible she leaves tomorrow.)

- Impersonal expressions expressing judgment or value:
- Il est important que vous compreniez. (It’s important that you understand.)
- Il est dommage que tu n’aies pas pu venir. (It’s a pity you couldn’t come.)

- Certain conjunctions (see next section for a fuller list): for purpose, concession, time, condition, etc.

Contrast with the indicative (facts and certainty):
- Use the indicative when the main clause expresses fact, certainty, or belief (affirmative):
- Je sais qu’il vient. (I know he is coming.) — indicative, not subjunctive
- Elle est sûre que tu as raison. (She’s sure you’re right.) — indicative

- When the main clause expresses doubt or negation of belief, the subjunctive is used:
- Je ne pense pas qu’il soit malade. (I don’t think he’s sick.) — subjunctive
- Je pense qu’il est malade. (I think he’s sick.) — indicative

How do I form the subjunctive? Present and past forms

- For most verbs: take the ils/elles form of the present indicative, drop -ent, add endings: -e, -es, -e, -ions, -iez, -ent.

Examples (present stem from ils):
- parler -> ils parlent -> que je parle, que tu parles, qu’il parle, que nous parlions, que vous parliez, qu’ils parlent.
- finir -> ils finissent -> que je finisse, que nous finissions.
- vendre -> ils vendent -> que je vende, que nous vendions.

- Common irregulars (a few key ones you should memorize):
- être: que je sois, que tu sois, qu’il soit, que nous soyons, que vous soyez, qu’ils soient.
- avoir: que j’aie, que tu aies, qu’il ait, que nous ayons, que vous ayez, qu’ils aient.
- aller: que j’aille, que tu ailles, qu’il aille, que nous allions, que vous alliez, qu’ils aillent.
- faire: que je fasse, que tu fasses, qu’il fasse, que nous fassions, que vous fassiez, qu’ils fassent.
- pouvoir: que je puisse, que tu puisses, qu’il puisse, que nous puissions, que vous puissiez, qu’ils puissent.
- savoir: que je sache, que tu saches, qu’il sache, que nous sachions, que vous sachiez, qu’ils sachent.
- vouloir: que je veuille, que tu veuilles, qu’il veuille, que nous voulions, que vous vouliez, qu’ils veuillent.
- venir: que je vienne, que tu viennes, qu’il vienne, que nous venions, que vous veniez, qu’ils viennent.
- prendre: que je prenne, que tu prennes, qu’il prenne, que nous prenions, que vous preniez, qu’ils prennent.
- boire: que je boive, que tu boives, qu’il boive, que nous buvions, que vous buviez, qu’ils boivent.
- voir: que je voie, que tu voies, qu’il voie, que nous voyions, que vous voyiez, qu’ils voient.

Examples:
- Il faut que tu sois prêt. (You need to be ready.)
- Je veux qu’elle fasse ses devoirs. (I want her to do her homework.)
- Je doute qu’il puisse venir. (I doubt he can come.)

- Form: auxiliary (avoir or être) in the present subjunctive + past participle.
- Examples: que j’aie parlé, que tu aies fini, qu’il ait pris; que je sois allé(e), qu’elle soit arrivée.

- Use it when the subordinate action is prior to the time of the main clause.

Examples:
- Je suis content qu’il soit venu. (I’m happy that he came.) — past subjunctive (soit venu)
- Il faut que vous ayez fini avant midi. (You must have finished before noon.)
- Je doute qu’elle ait compris. (I doubt that she understood.)

Note on other subjunctive tenses:
- The imperfect and pluperfect subjunctives exist but are literary and rare in spoken/written modern French. Focus on present and past subjunctive for everyday use.

Which conjunctions and expressions commonly require the subjunctive?

Warning: après que (after) takes the indicative, not the subjunctive
- Incorrect: *Après qu’il soit parti.
- Correct: Après qu’il est parti, nous avons rangé. (After he left, we tidied up.)
- Many learners make this mistake. After que, if the conjunction is après que (after), use the indicative.

Relative clauses, superlatives, and indefinite antecedents — when to choose subjunctive or indicative?

- If the antecedent is unknown, hypothetical, or indefinite, use the subjunctive in the relative clause:
- Je cherche quelqu’un qui puisse m’aider. (I’m looking for someone who can help me.) — existence uncertain -> subjunctive
- Il n’y a personne qui sache la réponse. (There is nobody who knows the answer.) — subjunctive after negative.

- If the antecedent is known, specific, or exists, use the indicative:
- Je connais quelqu’un qui peut m’aider. (I know someone who can help me.) — known person -> indicative
- Voilà l’homme qui a gagné. (There’s the man who won.) — indicative

- After superlative expressions or expressions emphasizing uniqueness, French often uses the subjunctive because the speaker judges or evaluates the object:
- C’est la meilleure idée que j’aie entendue. (It’s the best idea I’ve heard.) — past subjunctive
- C’est la seule personne qui puisse m’aider. (She’s the only person who can help me.) — subjunctive

Sequence of tenses: present subjunctive vs past subjunctive

- Use the present subjunctive when the subordinate action is simultaneous with or subsequent to the main clause’s time:
- Je veux qu’il vienne demain. (I want him to come tomorrow.) — present subjunctive for a future action

- Use the past subjunctive when the subordinate action is anterior (already completed) relative to the main clause:
- Je suis content qu’il soit venu hier. (I’m glad he came yesterday.) — past subjunctive because his coming happened before now

- If the main clause is in the past, you will often keep the subordinate clause in the subjunctive but choose the past subjunctive when the subordinate action is prior:
- J’étais heureux qu’il fût/soit venu. (Literary: fût; common: soit venu) — both meanings indicate the coming was before the main clause time.

Practical tip: For everyday French, match the present subjunctive to present or future main clauses and use the past subjunctive when talking about completed actions.

Common mistakes and tricky cases

- After expressions of certainty, do NOT use the subjunctive.
- Wrong: *Je sais qu’il soit là.
- Right: Je sais qu’il est là. (I know he is there.)

- Don’t use the subjunctive after après que — use the indicative.
- Wrong: *Après qu’il soit parti.
- Right: Après qu’il est parti, nous avons mangé. (After he left, we ate.)

- Avoid using malgré que in formal writing. Use bien que or en dépit du fait que instead.
- Prefer: Bien qu’il soit fatigué, il travaille. (Rather than Malgré qu’il soit fatigué.)

- The verb sembler often takes the indicative in everyday French (Il semble qu’il est malade), but subjunctive (Il semble qu’il soit malade) is possible when you want to emphasize uncertainty. Native usage varies.

- Expletive ne (ne explétif) appears with some expressions of fear or prevention but does not negate.
- J’ai peur qu’il ne vienne. (I’m afraid that he may come.) — the ne does not make it negative; it’s an old stylistic feature.

Quick comparisons with English and practical tips

- English often expresses the idea with modals (may, might, should) or with the base form (US mandative subjunctive: I insist that he go). French requires the subjunctive in many situations where English does not.
- Fr: Il faut que tu viennes. / En: You must come. or You have to come.
- Fr: Je veux qu’il parte. / En: I want him to leave.

- Memorize common triggers (vouloir que, il faut que, bien que, avant que, pour que, jusqu’à ce que, afin que, à condition que, sans que, jusqu’à ce que).
- Learn present- and past-subjunctive forms for the common irregular verbs (être, avoir, aller, faire, pouvoir, savoir, vouloir, venir, etc.).
- When in doubt about tense: ask whether the action in the subordinate clause happens before the main clause — if yes, use past subjunctive; otherwise use present subjunctive.

Glossary (simple definitions)

- Mood: the form of a verb that expresses the speaker’s attitude (indicative = facts; subjunctive = wish/doubt/necessity/emotion).
- Subordinate clause: a clause that depends on the main clause and cannot stand alone (introduced by que or a conjunction).
- Main clause: the independent clause that expresses the primary idea.
- Antecedent: the noun to which a relative clause refers (e.g., quelqu’un in « quelqu’un qui… »).
- Expletive ne: a nonnegative ne used after certain verbs/expressions (e.g., craindre que, à moins que) for stylistic reasons.

Final summary: short checklist

- Use the subjunctive after expressions of will, necessity, emotion, doubt, and certain conjunctions (pour que, bien que, avant que, jusqu’à ce que, etc.).
- For relative clauses: use subjunctive if the antecedent is uncertain/indefinite; use indicative if it’s definite/known.
- Form present subjunctive from the ils stem + endings (-e, -es, -e, -ions, -iez, -ent). Memorize irregulars.
- Form past subjunctive with the present subjunctive of avoir/être + past participle.
- Avoid common errors: don’t use subjunctive after après que; prefer bien que to malgré que in formal registers; be careful with verbs of certainty (use indicative) vs doubt (use subjunctive).

I’ve included many examples above — refer back to the sections that list them for specific patterns. If you’d like, I can also provide a one-page conjugation sheet of the present subjunctive for regular and irregular verbs.