Subjonctif

The Subjonctif (also subjunctive ) is a mode of the French language , it has a lot in common with the Spanish subjuntivo . There is also a correspondence in other Romance languages , such as the Italian congiuntivo or the Portuguese subjuntivo o conjuntivo . Mostly in other languages an indicative is used for the Subjonctif . The Subjonctif is used in modern French in the présent (Subjonctif I) and in the passé composé (Subjonctif II). Subjonctif imparfait and Subjonctif plus-que-parfait are only used today in sophisticated written language or with satirical-parodistic intent.

Subjonctif présent / passé composé

The present subjunctive in French is dependent on certain triggers (see application ) and, like the German subjunctive , is not primarily used in indirect speech. In addition, the German subjunctive is to be used in the hypothetical period (Potentialis and Irrealis) as well as in general in statements that require the subjunctive (ebf. Potentialis and Irrealis) in terms of content. Accordingly, it is used more frequently. In the past tense of the Subjonctif, only the passé composé du subjonctif is largely in use. The imparfait / plus-que-parfait du subjonctif is mainly found in older literary texts.

Formation of the subjonctif présent

As almost everywhere in French, there are so-called irregular verbs in the Subjonctif, which do not fit into the normal schema of formation. However, these are the exception, and one can usually assume regular education.

Regular verbs

The subjonctif of regular verbs is made up of the stem of the third person plural of the indicative present ( présent de l'indicatif ) and the endings of the subjonctifs (see below). However, the forms of the first and second person plural in the Subjonctif are the same as in the Imparfait , i.e. H. here the stem of the first person plural is used.

The endings are: -e, -es, -e, -ions, -iez, -ent

person	boire (ils boiv ent)
1st Sg .: que je	boiv e
2nd Sg .: que tu	boiv it
3rd Sg .: qu'il / elle / on	boiv e
1st pl .: que nous	buv ions
2nd pl .: que vous	buv iez
3rd pl .: qu'ils / elles	boiv ent

Since many verbs only have one stem for the plural, the Subjonctif is often identical to the present tense. This is the case with the vast majority of verbs ending in -er , -ir and -dre . In the latter, however, one notices the form of the subject through the endings.

Examples:

person	aimer (ils aim ent)	finir (ils finiss ent)	attendre (ils attend ent)
1st Sg .: que je / j '	aim e	finiss e	attend e
2nd Sg .: que tu	aim it	finish it	attend it
3rd Sg .: qu'il / elle / on	aim e	finiss e	attend e
1st pl .: que nous	aim ions	finiss ions	attend ions
2nd pl .: que vous	aim iez	finiss iez	attend iez
3rd pl .: qu'ils / elles	aim ent	finiss ent	attend ent

Irregular verbs

There are seven verbs that make up the subjonctif irregular:

person	être	avoir	all	fair	pouvoir	savoir	vouloir
1st Sg .: que je / j '	sois	aie	aille	grasp	puisse	Thing	veuille
2nd Sg .: que tu	sois	aies	ailles	barrel	puisses	saches	veuilles
3rd Sg .: qu'il / elle / on	soit	ait	aille	grasp	puisse	Thing	veuille
1st pl .: que nous	soyons	ayons	allions	fassions	puissions	sachions	voulions
2nd pl .: que vous	soyez	ayez	alliez	fassiez	puissiez	sachiez	vouliez
3rd pl .: qu'ils / elles	soient	aient	aillent	grasp	puissent	competent	veuillent

In addition, the forms of the following impersonal verbs must be observed:

il faut → qu'il faille (falloir)
il pleut → qu'il pleuve (pleuvoir)
il vaut → qu'il vaille (valoir)

Formation of the passé composé du subjonctif

The passé composé des Subjonctif is the most common of all past tenses of the Subjonctif. This form is formed for all verbs with the forms of the subjonctif présent and the respective past participle of the verb.

person	auxiliary verb	past participle
1. Sg.	que j'aie	vu
2nd Sg.	que do aies
3rd Sg.	qu'il ait
1st pl.	que nous ayons
2nd pl.	que vous ayez
3rd pl.	qu'ils aient

Formation of the subjonctif imparfait

This form is created for all verbs with the stem des passé simple .

The endings are: -sse, -sses, - ^ t, --ssions, -ssiez, -ssent

Example:

person	être
Que ever	fu sse
Que do	fu sses
Qu'il / elle	f ût
Que nous	fu ssions
Que vous	fu ssiez
Qu'ils / elles	fu ssent

Formation of the subjonctif plus-que-parfait

To create this form, the participe passé of the respective verb is combined with the appropriate subjonctif imparfait of avoir or être . The inflection rules of participe passé correspond to those of passé composé .

Example:

person	all
Que ever	fu sse All (e)
Que do	fu sses All (e)
Qu'il / elle	f ût allé (e)
Que nous	fu ssions allé (e) s
Que vous	fu ssiez allé (e) s
Qu'ils / elles	fu ssent allé (e) s

application

Knowing when the subjunctive and when the indicative is used is an art in itself. Many verbs and expressions are clear, but some require careful consideration, which can be very difficult for people whose first language is not French. As a rule of thumb, which is not always true, one can say that the Subjonctif usually comes after verbs that express something subjective.

In total there are four groups of triggers that require the subjonctif:

verbes de volonté "desired verbs"
verbes de sentiments "verbs of feeling"
verbes de la balance " verbs of equilibrium"

certain conjunctions

Verbes de volonté

The verbes de volonté are verbs of the expression of will, e.g. B .:

vouloir "want"
attendre "expect"
proposer "propose"

Example: Je veux que tu finisses "I want you to stop"

Verbes de sentiments

The verbes de sentiments are verbs of the subjective feeling and the judgmental opinion, z. B .:

admirer que "admire that"
regretter que "regret that"
être heureux que "be happy that"
il est bien / bon que "it is good that"
cela m'amuse que "I enjoy that"

Example: Je regrette que tu ne saches rien "I am sorry that you don't know anything"

Exception : espérer "hope" requires the indicative in the affirmative state !

Example: J'espère que tu as écrit à Catherine.

In the negative state, however, the Subjonctif must always be present .

Example: J'espère qu'il ne pleuve pas.

In colloquial language, however, Subjonctif can be used when the hoped-for is not at all certain and actually represents a wish rather than a hope:

J'espère que personne ne nous ait vu (e) s! (after doing something in a not completely deserted place)

However, after the Gérondif or the imperative of the verb espérer , a subjonctif after que must be chosen.

Examples:

Nous nous en allons en espérant que personne ne nous ait vu (e) s "We are going away, hoping that no one has seen us"
Espérons que personne ne nous ait vu (e) s "Let's hope nobody saw us"

Verbes de la balance

The verbes de la balance form the most difficult group of Subjonctif triggers. Balance verbs do not only require the subjonctif or indicative. The use of the mode depends on the context . Typical verbs are penser , croire , être sûr etc.

Basically: If you want to express that what is behind the que , in your opinion, is certain or at least likely, then you choose the indicative. If you think that it is uncertain or improbable, use the subjonctif.

Examples:

Je pense que le père est malade . (Indicative; you would say this if he looked sick.)
Je ne pense pas que le père soit malade . (Subjonctif; "I do not believe that the father is sick (but cannot say with certainty).")
Je ne pense pas que le père est vraiment malade . (Indicative, slang; "I don't think he's really sick.")

Conjunctions

Some conjunctions require the subjonctif - among others:

afin que
avant que
bien que
jusqu'à ce que
pour que
pourvu que
quoique
sans que
à condition que
à moins que
à supposer que
de manière à ce que
en attendant que

Après que

For some years now, the Subjonctif has also been gaining ground after après que :

Elle s'est fait agresser juste après que je sois parti

Regardless of the fact that this is theoretically ungrammatical, après que je suis parti would no longer be up-to-date here. In writing, however, the indicative should continue to appear after après que . The passé antérieur , which is close to the Subjonctif and therefore does not disturb the ear, is very popular:

Elle s'est fait agresser juste après que je fus parti.

Bien que

After bien que , the indicative can be used in colloquial language, if otherwise subjonctif imparfait would have to be used.

Example: "I went to the party even though I was sick (at that point in time)" Translation options:

Je suis allé (e) à la fête bien que je sois malade . Theoretically, subjonctif présent is correct in the subordinate clause. However, since there is no future tense of the Subjonctifs and the present tense is also used for the future, it is not clear in this sentence whether you were only sick at the time of the party (simultaneity) or whether you are still sick (postponement).
Je suis allé (e) à la fête bien que je fusse malade . The ambiguity from the previous example is solved in this way, but by using the subjonctif imparfait , which is almost no longer used in the spoken language.
Je suis allé (e) à la fête bien que j'étais malade . Indicative imparfait is actually ungrammatical, but common in everyday language. In the written language, however, subjonctif imparfait is mandatory.

More information

Avant que and après que can never form a subordinate clause whose subject is the same as that of the superordinate main clause. Instead, an infinitive construction must be used:

Il m'a téléphoné avant de venir chez moi ( Never : Il m'a téléphoné avant qu'il vienne chez moi )

Impersonal expressions

The construction adjective + que always triggers the subjonctif except in the following cases:

il est certain que
il est vrai que
il n'est pas vrai que ( Attention : Il est faux que requires Subjonctif!)
il est sûr que
il est clair que
il est évident que
il est vraisemblable que
il est exact que

According to them, however, the Subjonctif is also denied:

il n'est pas sûr qu'il vienne

Here are some examples of other impersonal expressions that require the subjonctif:

il faut que
il faudrait que
il vaut / vaudrait mieux que

c'est une chance que
c'est une chose curieuse que
c'est dommage que

cela m'amuse que
cela me surprend que
cela me dérange que
cela me plaît que

Desired properties

The Subjonctif is used in subordinate clauses that describe the desired properties of an object: Je cherche une secrétaire qui sache parler et écrire l'espagnol.

Danger:

Je cherche un hôtel qui n'est pas trop cher "I'm looking for a hotel that isn't too expensive" (fact)
Je cherche un hôtel qui ne soit pas trop cher "I'm looking for a hotel that shouldn't be too expensive, please (an expensive one is of no use to me)" (desired property)

Superlatives, single and perhaps existing things

First a few examples:

C'est la plus great bêtise qu'il n ' ait jamais faite! ( Attention : for the accord see passé composé )
Connais-tu quelqu'un qui sache m'aider? (1. The quality of being able to help is "wanted"; 2. Someone who can help may or may not exist)
Vous avez une other solution? - Non, c'est la seule solution qu'on ait pu trouver!
C'est la seule partie de ce plan dont nous soyons sûrs!
La Belgique est le seul pays où on puisse parler de "La Drache Nationale"
Imagine-toi qu'il parte sans avoir rangé la cuisine!

With superlatives (1.) the subjonctif is used because, as in the above example, the size of two stupidities can hardly be compared without a doubt and actually a subjective assessment, an evaluative opinion. For statements that are beyond any doubt, such as B. about the highest mountains or buildings, the indicative could be; however, this is not common, especially not in everyday language.

If one were not to use Subjonctif in 2., the answer yes to the question would be self-evident.

For examples similar to 3 and 4, it is not so easy to say when indicative instead of subjunctive can or should be used.

In example 5, Belgium is the only country in which one can speak of La Drache Nationale (Belgianism: national rain).

An imperatif, as in 6., does not automatically require a subjonctif, although this would be logical according to the general rules. The real justification for the obligatory choice of the subjonctif in this case lies in the verb imaginer itself, which in combination with an imperatif requires a subjonctif: the fact that he leaves without tidying up the kitchen is not real in this case Situation; consequently a subjunctive must be set.

It should be noted that relative pronouns such as dont and où can result in a subjonctif just as much as que or qui .

Le fait que

If le fait que “the fact that” is at the beginning of the sentence, it is written with a subjonctif: Le fait qu'il ait eu encore un accident crée une certaine méfiance

This use of the Subjonctif is hardly understandable based on the meaning. The Subjonctif just has to be used here, otherwise it sounds unnatural.

.. Anyway

Constructs like "whatever you want", "wherever you are going" etc. are expressed using the question + que + subjonctif :

quoi que tu veuilles
où que tu ailles

May - whether ... or not

These expressions are all expressed with que + subjonctif . If a French sentence begins with Que , the main verb is always in the Subjonctif. Most of the time it is just a modification of the rule regarding the utterance of a wish or the imperative that relates to a person who has not been addressed.

Que cela vous plaise ! "May you like it / May you like it!"
Qu'il vienne . "He should / may come."

In the meaning of whether ... or not, there is always subjonctif:

Que cela vous plaise ou non, vous n'avez pas le choix! / Vous n'avez pas le choix, que ça vous plaise ou non! "Like it or not, you have no choice!"

also

If que replaces a preceding conjunction, the verbs are also in the subjonctif here, regardless of the original conjunction:

S'il fait beau demain et que nous ayons le temps, on pourra faire un barbecue "If the weather is nice tomorrow and we have time, we can grill"

This rule has de facto been lost in colloquial language and is also used less and less in high-level language.

Mode dependency

If a subordinate clause is introduced by a verb + que / qui / (ce) dont / où , which is in the subjonctif, then in certain cases the verb of the subordinate clause is also in the subjonctif. In order to understand the choice of modes of such sentence structures, the viewer must understand the nature of the subjonctif:

Example 1:

Je ne pense pas qu'il ait un chien, ni qu'il ait un chat "I don't think he has a dog, nor a cat"

The person making the statement is therefore convinced in his doubting attitude of the non-reality of both assumptions.

Example 2:

Cela me ferait plaisir que ce soit toi qui écrives la lettre “It would make me happy that it was you who wrote the letter”, meaning “I would be happy if it were you who wrote the letter writes “.

Cela me ferait plaisir que is a judgmental statement, therefore a subjonctif follows. However, since a fact that is not (yet) real is being talked about (“that it would be you who wrote the letter”), Subjonctif follows. After all, the letter has not (yet) been written, so the act addressed is not (yet) real.

This terminology is mostly bypassed for the sake of simplicity, but it is not incorrect, which is why verifying the accuracy of this case can be difficult. You are more likely to hear / read the following sentence and also better to act on it: Cela me ferait plaisir si toi, tu écrivais la lettre

Example 3:

C'est important qu'on sache que je suis Autrichien "It is important that you know that I am Austrian"

C'est important que is an evaluative statement and therefore automatically requires a subjonctif. The following fact, introduced by the conjunction que que je suis Autrichien, is a reality and therefore requires indicative in contrast to the previous example with the “non-existent letter” → unreality. The Subjonctif is also available in the passé , e.g. E.g .: J'ai peur que tu n ' aies pas fait tes devoirs.

literature

Web links

Wikibooks: Subjonctif - learning and teaching materials

Individual evidence

↑ The subjunctive usage in French and Spanish. hispanoteca.eu
↑ Compare the Spanish Presente de subjuntivo
↑ Compare the Spanish Pretérito perfecto de subjuntivo
↑ Compare the Spanish Imperfecto de subjuntivo
↑ Compare the Spanish Pluscuamperfecto de subjuntivo

[1] The subjunctive usage in French and Spanish. hispanoteca.eu

[2] Compare the Spanish Presente de subjuntivo

[3] Compare the Spanish Pretérito perfecto de subjuntivo

[4] Compare the Spanish Imperfecto de subjuntivo

[5] Compare the Spanish Pluscuamperfecto de subjuntivo