Subjunctive: Regular Formation

Now that you understand what the subjunctive is and when to use it, it is time to learn how to form it. The good news: the formation rule for regular verbs is consistent and logical. Once you master this pattern, you can conjugate hundreds of verbs in the subjunctive.

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The Formation Rule

The present subjunctive of most French verbs is formed from the third person plural (ils/elles) stem of the present indicative. Here is the step-by-step process:

1. Take the ils/elles form of the present indicative
2. Remove the -ent ending to get the stem
3. Add the subjunctive endings: -e, -es, -e, -ions, -iez, -ent