Do French speakers REALLY use the subjunctive??
I can remember learning certain aspects of French grammar and thinking “Do French people even USE that grammar?”
Rather than just telling you “Oui, on utilise le subjonctif,” I thought I’d situate this on a larger lesson on the new comedy, French Girl.
I watched this movie last weekend and it was un coup de coeur (major favourite)! It’s giving teachery, last day of class, vacation and all things Québec.
This film is part of a recent influx of bilingual French movies (like L’Anatomie d’une chute, which won both an Oscar and une Palme d’Or). Of course, I have a particular preference for French Girl, because despite the title, it’s a comedy about a Québécoise woman and her quest to become a well-known chef.
En tout cas, here are four uses of the subjunctive that I noted in this film and a description of why we use the subjunctive:
“Peu importe qu’il soit handicapé.” It doesn’t matter that he’s handicapped; Never mind that he’s handicapped.
So, what makes this sentence subjunctive? The phrase Peu importe que (It doesn’t matter that; Never mind that) “triggers” or sets off the subjunctive because it conveys both emotion and doubt. The verb soit is the subjunctive form of être.
2. “Il faut que je vous dise." I’ve got to tell you; I have to tell you.
The number one most common “trigger” phrase for the subjunctive is Il faut que. The Il isn’t referring to a person here, but is like the impersonal “il” in “il pleut,” “il fait beau,” “il fait chaud,” etc.
Il faut que implies obligation and it sets off the subjunctive, so the verb dire gets conjugated as dise.
3. “Je veux pas que tu penses à ça.”I don’t want you to think about that.
Notice the ‘ne’ drop, which is common in spoken French. We use the subjunctive with phrases of desire, like “Je (ne) veux pas que…”, when we’re talking about someone else after the QUE.
4. “Faut que j’y aille.” I’ve got to go. I have to leave.
“Il faut que,” the king phrase that triggers the subjunctive, often becomes “faut que” in quick spoken French.
This is the number one expression that you can use in your everyday French and it is used all the time! Notice that the verb aller is conjugated as aille in the subjunctive.
Now you know - we really use the subjunctive when speaking French! You’re almost ready to dive into the fun of Zach Braff and Vanessa Hudgens in French Girl, but first, you may want to get more comfortable with how the subjunctive is used. To speak more about your emotions, wants, and needs, sign up for my live two-hour workshop: Mastering the Subjunctive in Everyday French!
