Subjonctif present after 'que'

EmmaB1Kwiziq community member

Subjonctif present after 'que'

One of the test questions from another lesson:

Je suis sûre que nous ________ ce livre.

answer: aimerons

Why do we use Le Futur instead of subjonctif present? Do we use Subjonctif present automatically after 'que'?

Asked 3 years ago
CélineKwiziq team memberCorrect answer

Bonjour Emma,

To add to Chris’s answer, ‘être sûre que’ doesn’t bring any uncertainty / a notion of hypothesis. You aren’t wondering whether [one does] something or not. You are expressing something with certainty.

All the following relative clauses are in ‘mode Indicatif’:

Je t’affirme qu’il est marié = I assure you that he is married.

Je pense que tu as raison = I think you are right.

Je pense que tu réussiras I think you will succeed.

‘Le mode Indicatif’ = the facts as real (hence the certainty).

 

It is true though that Le Subjonctif generally follows ‘que’ as mentioned in the link below. And it is used after ‘que’ to express hypotheses (whether [ones does]).

All the following relative clause are in 'mode Subjonctif':

Elle veut que tu partes = she wants you to leave

J’ai peur qu’il soit blessé I fear he might be hurt

 

‘Le mode Subjonctif’ = the facts are not real yet (hence the uncertainty) or not having an impact yet.

Also, there is a long list of expressions that require the use of Le Subjonctif (see link below).

And after a verb of opinion, used in the negative / interrogative form, Le Subjonctif is used too.

Pensez-vous qu’il soit marié? = do you think he might be married?

Je ne crois pas qu’ils soient séparés = I don’t believe them to be separated.

 

See link here for all things subjunctive related: mood/the-french-subjunctive-mood-le-mode-subjonctif-ou-le-subjonctif

I hope this is helfpul.

Bonne journée!

ChrisC1 Kwiziq Q&A super contributor

Whether to use subjunctive or not depends on several factors, one is the degree of uncertainty on behalf of the speaker. Je suis sûr que... -- I am sure that... leaves little doubt, and the conjunction que does not universally ask for the subjunctive either.

Subjonctif present after 'que'

One of the test questions from another lesson:

Je suis sûre que nous ________ ce livre.

answer: aimerons

Why do we use Le Futur instead of subjonctif present? Do we use Subjonctif present automatically after 'que'?

Sign in to submit your answer

Don't have an account yet? Join today

Ask a question

Find your French level for FREE

Test your French to the CEFR standard

Find your French level
Let me take a look at that...