not necessarily overly friendly, would one still use the subjunctive?
Look at these sentences expressing a purpose:
J'apprends le tango pour que nous dansions ensemble.
I'm learning tango so that we may dance together.
Je lui explique pour qu'il comprenne.
I'm explaining to him so that he understands.
Je te le dis pour que tu ne sois pas surpris.
I'm telling you so that you're not surprised.
Je te donne mes clés pour que tu puisses entrer.
I'm giving you my keys so that you can come in.
When something happens so that / in order that someone else does something in French, we use the expression pour que followed by a verb in the Subjunctive mood.
Note that you can also use the rarer and more elegant afin que + Subjonctif :
See also how to conjugate in Le Subjonctif :
Conjugate regular verbs in Le Subjonctif Présent (subjunctive mood)
Conjugate être in Le Subjonctif Présent (subjunctive mood)
Conjugate faire in Le Subjonctif Présent (subjunctive mood)
Conjugate pouvoir in Le Subjonctif Présent (subjunctive mood)
Conjugate prendre and derivatives in Le Subjonctif Présent (subjunctive mood)
Conjugate savoir in Le Subjonctif Présent (subjunctive mood)
Conjugate avoir in Le Subjonctif Présent (subjunctive mood)
NOTE: The subjunctive in English has fallen out of use, so literal translations may seem archaic: Je lui explique pour qu'il comprenne. literally: I'm explaining to him so that he may understand. In modern English: I'm explaining to him so he can understand.
Learn more about these related French grammar topics
Examples and resources
Tu apporteras des citrouilles pour qu'on les sculpte?
Will you bring pumpkins for us to carve?
Je te donne mes clés afin que tu puisses entrer.
I'm giving you my keys so that you can come in.
J'apprends le tango pour que nous dansions ensemble.
I'm learning tango so that we may dance together.
comprendre
Je lui explique pour qu'il comprenne.
I'm explaining to him so that he understands.
être
Je te le dis pour que tu ne sois pas surpris.
I'm telling you so that you're not surprised.
pouvoir
Je te donne mes clés pour que tu puisses entrer.
I'm giving you my keys so that you can come in.
Q&A Forum 8 questions, 13 answers
MlleKwiziq community member
Has the subjunctive in French also fallen out of fashion? I understand of course to use it in more formal situations, but in lesser formal situations,
Asked 5 months ago
Hi Mlle,
As Chris says , the subjunctive is alive and kicking in French but there are sometimes ways to avoid it by replacing it by a noun or a verb in the infinitive -
Je vais attendre jusqu’à ce que tu viennes = Je vais attendre jusqu’à ton arrivée
Donnez-moi votre adresse avant que vous ne partiez = Donnez-moi votre adresse avant votre départ
Il faut que tu ailles en France la semaine prochaine = Il te faut aller en France la semaine prochaine
But the French will use comfortably in every day speech.
Hope this helps
Chris Kwiziq Q&A super contributor
I don't think it has. I hear it used quite regularly in spoken French. Of course, there will be some cases where it is more often used in written than in spoken French, but in general it is alive and well.
Mlle asked:View original
Has the subjunctive in French also fallen out of fashion? I understand of course to use it in more formal situations, but in lesser formal situations,
not necessarily overly friendly, would one still use the subjunctive?
Don't have an account yet? Join today
GregoryKwiziq community member
je te jetterai des sorts pour que tu m'aimes encore
Jean-Jacques Goldman et Céline Dion!! J'adore cette chanson.
"On me dit qu'aujourd'hui, on me dit que les autres font ainsi..je ne suis pas les autres..non....non"
Asked 9 months ago
CécileKwiziq team member
Avez- vous une question spécifique, Gregory?
Je ne connais pas cette chanson mais elle doit être très belle ...
AurélieKwiziq team member
Mais oui bien sûr !!!
"Pour que tu m'aimes encore" de Céline Dion :)
Un classique ! Et très utile pour réviser Le Futur ...
Gregory asked:View original
je te jetterai des sorts pour que tu m'aimes encore
Jean-Jacques Goldman et Céline Dion!! J'adore cette chanson.
"On me dit qu'aujourd'hui, on me dit que les autres font ainsi..je ne suis pas les autres..non....non"
Don't have an account yet? Join today
CrystalMaidenKwiziq Q&A regular contributor
How much rarer is afin que? I always use it.
Asked 1 year ago
AurélieKwiziq team member
Bonjour CrystalMaiden !
Afin que is not so much rarer as more elegant and high standard than pour que.
But you can use it as much as you like :)
Don't have an account yet? Join today
ShrutiKwiziq Q&A regular contributor
Je te le dis pour que tu ne sois pas surpris.
Why here le has come ?
Asked 1 year ago
Bonjour Shruti !
Here, le refers to what has been said previously:
-> I'm telling you [it] so that you're not surprised.
In French, when you use the verb dire, you will usually need to add "what" you're saying, either fully, or with a reminder pronoun like in this sentence.
Bonne journée !
Don't have an account yet? Join today
ShivaniKwiziq community member
Doubt regarding one of the examples above
Tu amèneras des citrouilles pour qu'on les sculpte?
I thought "amener" was used for people and animals.
Shouldn't we use "apporter" here ?
Asked 2 years ago
AurélieKwiziq team member
Bonjour Shivani !
Excellent question!
Technically, you are correct: amener is for people whereas apporter is for things.
Unfortunately, this is one of these very frequent mistakes most French natives make, including myself :)
I've now corrected this example :)
Merci et à bientôt !
Shivani asked:View original
Doubt regarding one of the examples above
Tu amèneras des citrouilles pour qu'on les sculpte?
I thought "amener" was used for people and animals.
Shouldn't we use "apporter" here ?
Don't have an account yet? Join today
JenniferKwiziq Q&A regular contributor
I am giving you the keys so that you can come in versus I am calling you so that you can come?
In the first sentence puisses entrer is used, in the second viennes with the can understood. Is it a general rule that can is as it were rolled into the subjunctive unless a physical possibility is being discussed?
Asked 2 years ago
Ron Kwiziq Q&A super contributor
Bonjour Jennifer,
I am unable to locate the phrase in the lesson for your comparative example: I am calling you so that you can come
For your second example, this is how I would/could state it:
Je vous appelle pour que vous pouvez venir. (this is technically incorrect)
For the first part of the example, the use of le subjonctif présent is correct.
One thing to keep in mind is this:
I think that the examples given are for demonstration of the grammar point. Here is another translation for the first example:
«Je vous remets les clés de sorte que vous pussiez entrer»
As one can readily see, this phrase also uses le subjonctif.
Having said that, there are phrase constructs that allow for not using le subjonctif, here is one link:
http://www.laits.utexas.edu/tex/gr/tas8.html
There are some schools of thought that teach this method. For myself, I prefer to learn le subjonctif usage correctly.
Bonne chance dans vos études en français.
Ron
JenniferKwiziq Q&A regular contributor
The full sentences given were as follows:-
Je t'appelle pour que tu viennes - I'm calling you so you can come (in one of the quizes) and Je te donne mes clés pour que tu puisses entrer - I'm giving you my keys so that you may come in - from the pour que lesson. I just wondered why the first example did not use puisses venir which would have followed what the second example did.
Jennifer asked:View original
I am giving you the keys so that you can come in versus I am calling you so that you can come?
In the first sentence puisses entrer is used, in the second viennes with the can understood. Is it a general rule that can is as it were rolled into the subjunctive unless a physical possibility is being discussed?
Don't have an account yet? Join today
RadhikaKwiziq community member
Je ne peux pas trouver le leçon sur "subjonctif passé
Asked 3 years ago
LauraKwiziq team member
Bonjour Radhika, We don't have one here on Kwiziq yet, but here's one from a Partner site: French past subjunctive
Don't have an account yet? Join today
LauraKwiziq team member
Bonjour Silken !
It depends on the verb, but all regular verbs and many irregular ones follow this pattern: https://www.french-test.com/revision/grammar/conjugate-regular-verbs-in-le-subjonctif-present-the-subjunctive-mood
Don't have an account yet? Join today
