Subjonctif present - regular -er verbs

The subjonctif is a "mood." Most tenses you know are in the "indicative" mood. That mood is for facts. The subjonctif is different. It usually lives in a two-part sentence. You need a trigger and a connector. The connector is almost always que. Without que, the subjonctif usually stays in bed. It is a bit of a homebody. It needs that little word to come out and play. Imagine you are at a party. The indicative is the person telling everyone exactly what time it is. The subjonctif is the person saying, "I hope the cake is good!" It handles the vibes. To use it, you usually need two different people. "I want that YOU eat." If it is just you, you use a different shortcut. But when two people are involved in a wish or a need, the subjonctif steps in. It is the bridge between what you want and what someone else does. It is like a polite way of sharing your internal world.

1. 1Building this is like following a recipe. It has three simple steps.
2. 2Go to the present tense ils (they) form. For parler, it is ils parlent.
3. 3Chop off the -ent ending. This gives you your "stem." For parler, the stem is parl-.
4. 4Add the special subjonctif endings.
5. 5Here are the endings you need to memorize:
6. 6For je: -e (que je parle)
7. 7For tu: -es (que tu parles)
8. 8For il/elle/on: -e (qu'il parle)
9. 9For nous: -ions (que nous parlions)
10. 10For vous: -iez (que vous parliez)
11. 11For ils/elles: -ent (qu'ils parlent)
12. 12Wait, does this look familiar? It should! For regular -er verbs, the singular forms and the ils form look exactly like the normal present tense. Only nous and vous change. They look like the imparfait. Think of it as a remix of things you already know. It is like a grammar mashup! Just remember that que is always there. It is the VIP pass for the subjonctif club.

You use this mood when life gets subjective. Think of the acronym WEIRDO. It stands for Wishes, Emotions, Impersonal expressions, Relative clauses, Doubt, and Orders. For an A1 level, focus on two big ones. First, "Necessity." Phrases like Il faut que... (It is necessary that...) are everywhere. If you are ordering food and say, "It is necessary that I eat," you use this. Second, "Desire." Phrases like Je veux que... (I want that...) trigger it too. Imagine you are at a job interview. You might say, "I want that you accept my application." That is the subjonctif at work. It shows you are not just stating a fact. You are expressing a hope. It is also great for emotions. "I am happy that you are here." Use it when you are talking about your internal state. If the sentence feels like a wish or a requirement, reach for the subjonctif. It makes your French sound much more natural and expressive.

Don't use the subjonctif for facts. If you are 100% sure, stay with the indicative. "I know that he eats" is Je sais qu'il mange. No subjonctif there! Also, do not use it if there is only one person involved. If you want to eat, say Je veux manger. You don't need a whole subjonctif party for one person. Only use it when the subject changes. "I want that YOU eat." This is a classic trap. Learners often over-use it because it feels "fancy." But remember: certainty is the enemy of the subjonctif. If you are talking about something you know is true, keep it simple. Think of it like a spicy sauce. It is great in the right dish, but you don't put it on your cereal. Use it when there is a "maybe" or a "should" in the air.

The biggest mistake is forgetting the que. It is the glue. Without it, the sentence falls apart. Another common slip is the nous and vous forms. Many people use the normal present tense endings. They say que nous parlons instead of que nous parlions. Remember that extra i! It is small, but it matters. It is like the difference between "I talk" and "I might talk." Also, watch out for the stem. Always start from the ils form of the present. For regular -er verbs, it is easy. But for other verbs, it can get tricky. If you start with the je form, you might get the wrong stem later. Think of the ils form as your North Star. Follow it, and you won't get lost. Finally, don't forget the -s on the tu form. Even though it sounds the same as the je form, the spelling still matters. It is like wearing matching socks. No one might see them, but you know they are there.

Let's compare the subjonctif with the indicative.

• Indicative: Je pense qu'il travaille. (I think he is working. I'm pretty sure!)
• Subjonctif: Je ne pense pas qu'il travaille. (I don't think he is working. I have doubt!)

See the difference? One little "not" changes the whole mood. Doubt triggers the subjonctif. Certainty triggers the indicative. It is like a balance scale. On one side is "The Truth." On the other is "The Feeling." Another contrast is with the infinitive.

• Infinitive: Il faut travailler. (One must work. General rule.)
• Subjonctif: Il faut que tu travailles. (You must work. Specific person.)

The subjonctif makes it personal. It points the finger at someone. It is more specific and often more polite than a direct command. Use the infinitive for general advice, and the subjonctif for specific people.