How do you conjugate the present subjunctive in French?

Take the ils form of the present indicative, remove -ent, and add -e, -es, -e, -ions, -iez, -ent. Ils écrivent gives que j'écrive and que nous écrivions. The endings are the same for every verb.

Why do the nous and vous forms look like the imperfect?

Because they use the same endings. Que nous parlions and nous parlions are spelled identically, and only the conjunction in front distinguishes them. This overlap makes the subjunctive nous form easy to produce once you know the imperfect.

Which verbs have two subjunctive stems?

The same verbs that have two stems in the present indicative: prendre, venir, tenir, boire, devoir, recevoir, voir, croire, mourir, and the -eler and -eter families. Que je prenne but que nous prenions.

Are the subjunctive and the indicative ever identical?

Often. For -er verbs, je parle, tu parles, il parle, and ils parlent are the same in both moods. Only the nous and vous forms differ, which is why the subjunctive can pass unnoticed in speech.

How do you form the past subjunctive?

Use the present subjunctive of avoir or être with the past participle: que j'aie fini, que tu sois parti. The auxiliary choice and the agreement rules are exactly the same as in the passé composé.

French grammar · Intermediate

French Subjunctive Conjugations: The Stem Rule, the Endings, and the Two-Stem Verbs

Written by Camille Laurent, Lead French Curriculum Editor · Reviewed May 2026

The present subjunctive is built from the ils form of the present indicative: drop -ent and add -e, -es, -e, -ions, -iez, -ent. That single rule covers almost every verb in French, including most that are irregular in the indicative, because their irregularity is already inside the stem you are borrowing.

Il faut que nous choisissions avant vendredi.

We have to choose before Friday.

What it is

The subjunctive has a reputation for difficulty that its forms do not deserve. There is one set of endings for every verb in the language, and the stem is not something new to learn: it is the third person plural of the present indicative with its ending removed. Most of what looks irregular is inherited rather than invented.

ils écrivent → écriv- → que j'écrive, que nous écrivions.

How to spot it

Look for -e, -es, -ions, -iez, or -ent after a stem taken from the ils form. The nous and vous forms are the reliable markers, because -ions and -iez never appear in the present indicative.

Il faut que je réponde avant ce soir. — I have to reply before this evening.
Je veux que vous écriviez à votre tante. — I want you to write to your aunt.
Bien que nous partions tôt, on sera en retard. — Even though we're leaving early, we'll be late.
Il est possible qu'ils comprennent. — It's possible they understand.

Que nous partions is unmistakably subjunctive; nous partons is indicative. That -i- is the clearest visible sign of the mood.

Subjunctive Conjugations Quick Reference

Building the present subjunctive

Step	Example verb	Result
Take the ils form	ils finissent	finissent
Remove -ent	finiss-	the subjunctive stem
Add -e	que je	finisse
Add -es	que tu	finisses
Add -ions	que nous	finissions
Add -iez	que vous	finissiez
Add -ent	qu'ils	finissent

Common Subjunctive Conjugations Examples in French

The stem rule applied to each verb group:

-er Verbs

Il faut que tu travailles davantage.: You need to work harder.
Je veux qu'elle chante ce soir.: I want her to sing tonight.
Bien que nous habitions loin, on vient souvent.: Although we live a long way off, we come often.
Pour que vous compreniez, je vais recommencer.: So that you understand, I'll start again.

Four of the six forms are identical to the indicative. Only nous and vous show the mood in an -er verb.

-ir Verbs

Il faut que je finisse ce chapitre.: I need to finish this chapter.
Je doute qu'ils réussissent du premier coup.: I doubt they'll succeed first time.
Il vaut mieux que tu dormes un peu.: You'd better get some sleep.
Elle veut que nous choisissions maintenant.: She wants us to choose now.

The finir family keeps -iss- throughout the subjunctive, including in the singular, unlike the indicative.

-re Verbs

Il faut que j'attende la réponse.: I have to wait for the answer.
Je ne crois pas qu'il entende bien.: I don't think he hears well.
Pourvu qu'elle réponde avant demain.: As long as she replies before tomorrow.
Il est temps que nous vendions la maison.: It's time we sold the house.

The stem here ends in a consonant that finally gets pronounced: il attend is silent, qu'il attende is not.

Verbs Irregular in the Indicative

Il faut que tu écrives à ton propriétaire.: You need to write to your landlord.
Je veux qu'il dise la vérité.: I want him to tell the truth.
Bien qu'elle connaisse la ville, elle s'est perdue.: Although she knows the city, she got lost.
Il est possible que nous partions demain.: It's possible we'll leave tomorrow.

Écrire, dire, connaître, partir, and lire are irregular in the indicative but perfectly regular in the subjunctive.

How the Forms Are Built

One stem rule, one set of endings, and a second stem for a group of verbs that also change stem in the indicative.

The Stem Comes From the Ils Form

This is the whole rule. Ils vendent gives vend-, ils écrivent gives écriv-, ils connaissent gives connaiss-. Any irregularity in the indicative plural is automatically carried over.

Il faut que tu lises ce rapport.

You need to read this report.

ils form minus -ent.

The Endings Never Vary

-e, -es, -e, -ions, -iez, -ent for every verb in the language, including the irregular ones. Only être and avoir escape this, and even they use recognisable variants.

Je veux que vous répondiez honnêtement.

I want you to answer honestly.

-e, -es, -e, -ions, -iez, -ent.

Nous and Vous Borrow the Imperfect

The -ions and -iez endings are identical to the imperfect. For most verbs that means the subjunctive nous form and the imperfect nous form look the same, which is a useful shortcut rather than a source of confusion.

Il faudrait que nous parlions de tout ça.

We ought to talk about all this.

nous parlions serves both moods.

Boot Verbs Keep Their Two Stems

Verbs that shift their stem between the singular and the nous form in the indicative do the same in the subjunctive. Prendre gives prenne in the singular and prenions in the nous form, exactly mirroring prennent and prenons.

Il faut que je prenne le train, et que nous prenions le même.

I have to take the train, and we have to take the same one.

Singular and ils from ils, nous and vous from nous.

The Compound Subjunctive Uses the Same Rule

The past subjunctive is simply avoir or être in the present subjunctive, plus a participle: que j'aie fini, que tu sois venu. Nothing new has to be learned once you know aie and sois.

Je suis content que tu aies réussi.

I'm glad you passed.

aie / sois plus the participle.

Common Mistakes with Subjunctive Conjugations

Incorrect: Il faut que nous partons maintenant. — We have to leave now.

Correct: Il faut que nous partions maintenant. — We have to leave now.

The nous form of the subjunctive always ends in -ions. Partons is indicative, and after il faut que it is the one place where the missing mood is impossible to overlook.

Incorrect: Je veux qu'il prenons le bus. — I want him to take the bus.

Correct: Je veux qu'il prenne le bus. — I want him to take the bus.

The singular of a two-stem verb comes from the ils form: ils prennent gives prenne. The nous stem pren- only appears in the nous and vous forms.

Incorrect: Bien que nous étudions ensemble, on progresse peu. — Although we study together, we're making little progress.

Correct: Bien que nous étudiions ensemble, on progresse peu. — Although we study together, we're making little progress.

Étudier already ends in i, so the subjunctive ending -ions produces two i's. Writing only one leaves you with the indicative form.

Incorrect: Il est possible qu'il va venir. — It's possible he'll come.

Correct: Il est possible qu'il vienne. — It's possible he'll come.

The subjunctive has no compound future. To express a future event in a subjunctive clause, French uses the present subjunctive and lets the context supply the timing.

Subjunctive Paradigms

The three regular groups, a set of verbs that are irregular in the indicative but regular here, and the two-stem verbs that need both halves of the pattern.

The Three Regular Groups

Stems from ils parlent, ils finissent, ils attendent.

Pronoun	parler	finir	attendre
que je / j'	parle	finisse	attende
que tu	parles	finisses	attendes
qu'il / elle / on	parle	finisse	attende
que nous	parlions	finissions	attendions
que vous	parliez	finissiez	attendiez
qu'ils / elles	parlent	finissent	attendent

For attendre the subjunctive adds a pronounced -e where the indicative had nothing: il attend, qu'il attende.

Irregular in the Indicative, Regular Here

All four take their stem straight from the ils form, so no extra memorisation is required.

Pronoun	écrire (écriv-)	dire (dis-)	connaître (connaiss-)	partir (part-)
que je / j'	écrive	dise	connaisse	parte
que tu	écrives	dises	connaisses	partes
qu'il / elle / on	écrive	dise	connaisse	parte
que nous	écrivions	disions	connaissions	partions
que vous	écriviez	disiez	connaissiez	partiez
qu'ils / elles	écrivent	disent	connaissent	partent

Partir has one stem in the subjunctive, part-, even though the indicative alternates between pars and partons.

Two-Stem Verbs

The singular and the ils form use the stem of ils; the nous and vous forms use the stem of nous.

Pronoun	prendre	venir	boire	voir
que je / j'	prenne	vienne	boive	voie
que tu	prennes	viennes	boives	voies
qu'il / elle / on	prenne	vienne	boive	voie
que nous	prenions	venions	buvions	voyions
que vous	preniez	veniez	buviez	voyiez
qu'ils / elles	prennent	viennent	boivent	voient

Voir produces the striking forms voyions and voyiez, with a y and an i side by side. Both are correct.

The Past Subjunctive

Avoir and être in the present subjunctive, plus the participle.

Pronoun	avoir + compris	être + rentré
que je / j'	aie compris	sois rentré(e)
que tu	aies compris	sois rentré(e)
qu'il / elle / on	ait compris	soit rentré(e)
que nous	ayons compris	soyons rentré(e)s
que vous	ayez compris	soyez rentré(e)(s)
qu'ils / elles	aient compris	soient rentré(e)s

Aie, aies, and ait are all pronounced the same, so the spelling is the only thing distinguishing them.

Stem Changes and Spelling Traps

The stem rule is reliable, but a few verb families produce forms that look wrong until you have seen them once.

Verbs that double a consonant or add an accent

Appeler, jeter, acheter, and lever change their stem in the singular and the ils form, and revert in nous and vous — exactly as they do in the indicative.

Il faut que tu appelles le médecin.: You need to call the doctor.
Je veux qu'elle achète du pain.: I want her to buy some bread.
Bien que nous nous levions tôt, on est fatigués.: Although we get up early, we're tired.
Il faudrait que vous appeliez avant.: You should call beforehand.

Appelles has two l's, appeliez has one. The doubling tracks the stress, not the mood.

Verbs in -ier, -yer, and -gner

These produce a double i or an unusual letter sequence in the nous and vous forms, because the stem already ends in i or y before the -ions ending is added.

Il faut que nous étudiions ce dossier.: We need to study this file.
Je veux que vous essayiez encore.: I want you to try again.
Bien que nous payions cher, ça vaut le coup.: Although we pay a lot, it's worth it.

Étudiions with two i's looks like a typing error and is the correct form.

Verbs with no usable ils form

A handful of verbs cannot follow the stem rule because their subjunctive stem is unrelated to the indicative. These are the ones you have to learn as lists.

Il faut que tu sois patient.: You need to be patient.
Je veux qu'il fasse un effort.: I want him to make an effort.
Bien qu'elle sache la réponse, elle se tait.: Although she knows the answer, she says nothing.
Il est possible que j'aille en Suisse.: It's possible I'll go to Switzerland.

Être, avoir, aller, faire, pouvoir, savoir, vouloir, valoir, falloir, and pleuvoir are the complete list.

Subjunctive Conjugations FAQs

How do you conjugate the present subjunctive in French?: Take the ils form of the present indicative, remove -ent, and add -e, -es, -e, -ions, -iez, -ent. Ils écrivent gives que j'écrive and que nous écrivions. The endings are the same for every verb.
Why do the nous and vous forms look like the imperfect?: Because they use the same endings. Que nous parlions and nous parlions are spelled identically, and only the conjunction in front distinguishes them. This overlap makes the subjunctive nous form easy to produce once you know the imperfect.
Which verbs have two subjunctive stems?: The same verbs that have two stems in the present indicative: prendre, venir, tenir, boire, devoir, recevoir, voir, croire, mourir, and the -eler and -eter families. Que je prenne but que nous prenions.
Are the subjunctive and the indicative ever identical?: Often. For -er verbs, je parle, tu parles, il parle, and ils parlent are the same in both moods. Only the nous and vous forms differ, which is why the subjunctive can pass unnoticed in speech.
How do you form the past subjunctive?: Use the present subjunctive of avoir or être with the past participle: que j'aie fini, que tu sois parti. The auxiliary choice and the agreement rules are exactly the same as in the passé composé.