Usages particuliers du subjonctif
 |
|
| Share / Tweet / Pin Me! | |
The French subjunctive is most often found in subordinate clauses (e.g., Il faut que tu partes), but it can also be used in main or independent clauses.* In general, this latter usage tends to be formal.
À noter : This is an advanced lesson on using the French subjunctive. Before you continue, make sure that you understand the basics of the subjunctive.
1) Third person commands: que + subjunctive
The subjunctive can be used after que as a third person imperative, for indirect commands, wishes, concessions, suppositions, and exclamations.
Par exemple…
| Qu’ils mangent de la brioche ! | Let them eat brioche! | |
| Que Dieu vous bénisse. | (May) God bless you. |
2) Polite and/or literary imperative: que + subjunctive
The subjunctive can be used without que for polite and/or literary commands, wishes, etc., but only for a few verbs:
| Usage | |||
| être | Soit un triangle ABC. | Let ABC be a triangle. Let’s consider the triangle ABC. |
science, math |
| pouvoir | Puissiez-vous dire vrai ! | Let’s hope you’re right! | literary |
| savoir | Je ne sache pas que cela existe. | I’m not aware that that exists. | formal |
| Pas autant que je sache. | Not that I know of. | literary | |
| venir | Vienne l’aube, les oiseaux chantent. | Come dawn, the birds sing. | poetic, literary |
| vivre | Vive la France ! | Long live France! | third person command |
| vouloir | Veuillez m’excuser. | Please excuse me. | very polite command |
3) Fixed expressions
| Ainsi soit-il | So be it | |
| Advienne que pourra | Come what may | |
| autant que je sache | to the best of my knowledge | |
| coûte que coûte | at all costs | |
| Dieu soit loué ! | Thank goodness! | |
| Dieu vous entende. | May God hear you. | |
| Dieu vous protège. | May God protect you. | |
| Grand bien vous fasse ! | You’re welcome to it! May it serve you well! (sarcastic) | |
| n’en déplaise à… | with all due respect to… | |
| pas que je sache | not to my knowledge | |
| Plaise à Dieu que … | God grant that … | |
| Qu’à cela ne tienne. | Never mind that, That doesn’t matter. | |
| Sauve qui peut ! | Save yourselves (if you can)! |
* Note: For many of the fixed expressions, you can see why the subjunctive is needed if you consider that a main clause has been dropped, leaving what used to be a subordinate clause to stand alone.
(On veut que) Dieu vous entende.
(Nous souhaitons que) Grand bien vous fasse !
More French subjunctive
Related lessons
Share / Tweet / Pin Me!
This free website is created with love and a great deal of work. If you love it, please consider making a 
The letter combination il has various pronunciations depending on what precedes it.
Le festival de Cannes is one of the most famous film festivals in the world, and it takes place every May in the beautiful south of France. This issue of Lawless French à fond is all about movies and movie festivals.
A self-study French course divided into 30 loosely themed units consisting of grammar, vocabulary, and pronunciation lessons; cultural tips; and assorted quizzes along the way.
An indirect object is a person that someone or something does something to indirectly. In both French and English, indirect objects are often replaced with indirect object pronouns.