AtelierLe journal · French, understood
English

Language

The course

Updated

Verb drill

Infinitive or subjunctive? Follow the subjects in French

Edited by Chris Lee · Updated · About the library

Compare je souhaite venir with je souhaite que tu viennes. Practise six infinitive frames and six clauses while keeping de where it belongs.

In short

After souhaiter and vouloir, use an infinitive for your own action: Je souhaite venir. Give someone else a subject and a subjunctive clause: Je souhaite que tu viennes. After être content, keep de before the infinitive: Je suis content de venir.

Yellow the idea to rememberBlue French to learn

A colleague inviting another to join a small meeting at an open French office doorway.
An invitation gives context to je souhaite que tu viennes. Illustration: Atelier

Study first: who wants, and who acts?

Je souhaite participer.I would like to take part.

Focus: I wish; I participate

souhaiter + infinitive

Je souhaite participer à la réunion.
I would like to take part in the meeting.

Je souhaite que tu participes.I would like you to take part.

Focus: I wish; you participate

souhaiter que + subject + subjunctive

Je souhaite que tu participes à la réunion.
I would like you to take part in the meeting.

The expression decides how to join the infinitive
Same personAnother person
Je veux venir.Je veux que tu viennes.
Je souhaite partir.Je souhaite que Léa parte.
Je suis contente de participer.Je suis contente que tu participes.
Elle est heureuse de pouvoir venir.Elle est heureuse que nous puissions venir.

In the last two rows, de belongs to contente de and heureuse de. Vouloir and souhaiter take their infinitive directly. In de pouvoir venir, only the first verb is introduced by de: pouvoir takes venir directly.

When do you use an infinitive instead of que + subjunctive?

Il faut partir. Il faut que je parte.

We need to leave. I need to leave.

The first sentence leaves the actor to the situation. The second names je. The il in il faut is impersonal.

Je pense que je peux venir.

I think I can come.

Repeated subjects fit this statement with penser. The infinitive pattern taught here concerns particular wishes and reactions.

In part one, the same person feels or wishes and performs the action: supply the infinitive. In part two, the second actor is already named after que: supply the present subjunctive. The brackets give the verb, and the printed words keep each sentence’s meaning clear.

1 · Keep the same actor: infinitive

  1. Je souhaite demain. (venir)
  2. Nous voulons à la réunion. (participer)
  3. Léa souhaite plus tôt. (partir)
  4. Je suis contente de avec vous. (rester)
  5. Elle est heureuse de venir. (pouvoir)
  6. Il faut avant de répondre. (réfléchir)

2 · Give the clause its own subject: subjunctive

  1. Je souhaite que tu demain. (venir)
  2. Nous voulons que Léa à la réunion. (participer)
  3. Léa souhaite que nous plus tôt. (partir)
  4. Je suis contente que vous avec nous. (rester)
  5. Elle est heureuse que nous venir. (pouvoir)
  6. Il faut que tu avant de répondre. (réfléchir)

Keep going