#Le Subjonctif

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sterile lichenBOT
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Le Subjonctif

lucid ingot
fringe tide
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huh

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I tried searching it up but i don't get it at all

lucid ingot
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In short, the "subjunctive" is a special set of verb conjugations used in certain situations, often to express a subjective feeling or a wish.

It also exists in formal English. For example, in English you say "It is important that he be available"
You don't use the usual "he is" conjugation because the verb is in the subjunctive mood.

Similarly, in French you can't say "C'est important qu'il est disponible", you have to use the subjunctive conjugation of the verb: "C'est important qu'il soit disponible".

The difference is that in French the subjunctive is very common and there are lots of phrases that trigger it. "C'est important que" is one of them.

Another example is the verb "vouloir" (to want).
I want you to make a cake = Je veux que tu fasses un gâteau (and not "je veux que tu fais un gâteau, which is the normal way you'd conjugate the verb "faire" meaning "to make").

fringe tide
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uhh

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How can I conjugate verbs into it?

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Is there a rule?

lucid ingot
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Just like how you learned the present tense of a verb. For example, you may have learned how to conjugate "faire":

  • Je fais
  • Tu fais
  • Il fait
  • Nous faisons
  • Vous faites
  • Ils font

You also have to learn how it conjugates in the subjunctive:

  • Que je fasse
  • Que tu fasses
  • Qu'il fasse
  • Que nous fassions
  • Que vous fassiez
  • Qu'ils fassent

For regular verbs there are patterns you can learn (google is your friend)

lusty sentinel
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For most verbs, the pattern is:
(1) Take the present third person plural ending (ils parlent, ils rendent, ils choisissent)
(2) Remove the -ent ending (parl-, rend-, choisiss-)
(3) Add the subjunctive endings (-e, -es, -e, -ions, -iez, -aient)

fringe tide
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Thanks but I still don't really get its importance?

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what is it supposed to do

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how does it change a sentence

lusty sentinel
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que je parle, que tu parles, qu’il parle, que nous parlions, que vous parliez, qu’ils parlaient
que je rende, que tu rendes, qu’il rende, que nous rendions, que vous rendiez, qu’ils rendaient
que je choisisse, que tu choisisses, qu’il choisisse, que nous choisissions, que vous choisissiez, qu’ils choisissaient

lucid ingot
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"pour que" is another example.
"Je travaille dur pour que tu sois heureux" (I'm working hard so that you are happy / in order for you to be happy)
Not using the subjunctive in this sentence would be a grammar mistake.

fringe tide
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thanks