French Grammar

Subjunctive tenses in French

How to form the subjunctive

See also When to use  the subjunctive

1. Forms of the subjunctive

The subjunctive, in French, is a dying breed. However it is not dead, which means that it is still necessary for students of French to master the surviving forms and usages, since the subjunctive, even in its phase of decline, is still used, and often required, in everyday French.
Historically French verbs had a full range of subjunctive tenses, with the exception of the future and the simple past. Today, only two subjunctive tenses remain in everyday usage: the present subjunctive and the past subjunctive. 
   Two other tenses, the imperfect subjunctive and the pluperfect subjunctive, are now only used in very formal language, and are no onger used at all by the ordinary French speaker, except where they have survived in fixed expressions.

1.1 The present subjunctive

This by far the most common form of the subjunctive, and is often used nowadays in places where speakers might in the past have used a past subjunctive. 
Sample Group 1 verb - verb porter
Present subjunctive Singular Plural
1st je porte nous portions
2nd tu portes vous portiez
3rd il porte ils portent
Sample Group 2 verb  - finir
Present subjunctive Singular Plural
1st je finisse nous finissions
2nd tu finisses vous finissiez
3rd il finisse ils finissent
Sample Group 3 verb porter
Present subjunctive Singular Plural
1st je vende nous vendions
2nd tu vendes vous vendiez
3rd il vende ils vendent

Other verbs: See tense forms on the following pages:  être  avoir  vouloir, pouvoir, devoir and irregular verbs pages.

1.2. The  past subjunctive

This is the only past subjunctive tense that remains used in everyday, modern French – though not commonly. Many speakers will use an indicative, or a present subjunctive.
Sample Group 1 verb - verb porter
Past subjunctive Singular Plural
1st j'aie porté nous ayons porté
2nd tu aies porté vous ayéz porté
3rd il ait porté ils aient porté
Sample Group 2 verb  - finir
Past subjunctive Singular Plural
1st j'aie fini nous ayons fini
2nd tu aies fini vous ayéz fini
3rd il ait fini ils aient fini
Sample Group 3 verb  vendre
Past subjunctive Singular Plural
1st j'aie vendu nous ayons vendu
2nd tu aies vendu vous ayez vendu
3rd il ait vendu ils aient vendu

1.3. The  imperfect subjunctive

This is the only past form of the subjunctive that is formed without an auxiliary. It is usually referred to as the imperfect subjunctive, though it is in fact the subjunctive form of both the imperfect and the simple past or preterite.
Sample Group 1 verb - verb porter
Imperfect subjunctive Singular Plural
1st je portasse nous portassions
2nd tu portasss vous portassiez
3rd il portât ils portassent
Sample Group 2 verb  - finir
Imperfect subjunctive Singular Plural
1st je finisse nous finissions
2nd tu finisses vous finissiez
3rd il finît ils finissent
Sample Group 3 verb porter
Imperfect subjunctive Singular Plural
1st je vendisse nous vendissions
2nd tu vendisses vous vendissiez
3rd il vendît ils vendissent
Note that with group 2 verbs, the present and imperfect subjunctive are identical except in the third person singular.

1.4. The pluperfect subjunctive

This tense is very rare, and few speakers ever use it today. A single example is given below - for good measure.
Sample verb porter
Pluperfect subjunctive Singular Plural
1st j'eusse porté nous eussions porté
2nd tu eusses porté vous eussiez porté
3rd il eût porté ils eussent porté

1.5. Passive forms

Occasionally verbs need to be used in passive subjunctive forms. These are formed in just the same way as the indicative forms, except that the (first) auxiliary verb is a subjunctive form of être or avoir
Sample verb aimer
Person Present
(may be loved)		 Perfect (parfait)
(may have beenloved)		 imperfect / preterit
(may have been loved)
1st singular. je sois aimé j'aie été aimé je fusse aimé

2. Usage and examples 

  ► Go on to when to use  the subjunctive

► Return to : The 12 key irregular verbs
► Continue to Irregular verbs 3: Irregular verbs ending in -er-ir
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