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When evoking the subjunctive, we usually refer to the present subjunctive, but the past tense can also be conjugated in the subjunctive mood. Below are some tips on how to form the present subjunctive and at the end you can find the past subjunctive.
Regular verbs: -er verbs
Good news: it is like the indicative present (or regular present) you first learned on your French journey except for nous and vous.
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Let’s take the most romantic verb aimer [to love]:
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You may see two ‘i’ in a row! No worries, it’s perfectly normal. étudier → Il faut que nous etudiions to study → We must study |
IMPORTANT -ir verbs, -re verbs, two-stem-verbs
Here is the rule that never fails for je, tu, il, elle, on, ils, elles.
Two-step technique (before you end up knowing them by heart):
Nous and vous are often the odd ones. The stem for nous and vous will be different. Here is the two-step technique for these two:
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Even though their spelling will vary, verbs sound exactly the same for je, tu, il, elle, on, ils, elles! |
→ Check this website to practice and this one for pronunciation.
Irregular verbs: lucky number 7
Here are the 7 verbs you need to know by heart 💛 to make your life easier in French!
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être to be
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avoir to have
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aller to go
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vouloir to want
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faire to do
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savoir to know
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pouvoir to be able to
Past subjunctive
Finally, the past subjunctive is easy as long as you know the subjunctive of avoir and être, which you can find in the table above.
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subjunctive of avoir or être + past participle |
Je suis contente que tu sois venu hier !
I’m happy you came yesterday!
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