Subjunctive vs Indicative: When to Use Which

Choosing between the subjunctive and the indicative is one of the most practical challenges in French grammar. This lesson brings together everything you have learned and gives you a systematic method for deciding which mood to use.

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The Fundamental Distinction

The distinction comes down to one question: Is the speaker stating a fact, or expressing subjectivity?

Speaker's Attitude	Mood	Signal Words
Stating a fact / certainty	Indicative	je sais que, il est certain que, je crois que
Expressing a wish	Subjunctive	je veux que, il faut que, je souhaite que
Expressing an emotion	Subjunctive	je suis content que, j'ai peur que, c'est dommage que
Expressing doubt	Subjunctive	je doute que, il est possible que, je ne crois pas que
Making a judgment	Subjunctive	il est important que, il vaut mieux que
Using certain conjunctions	Subjunctive	bien que, pour que, avant que, sans que

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The Decision Tree

When you encounter a que clause in French, follow this decision tree: