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Grammaire : Le subjonctif (2)

 

Conjunctions requiring the subjunctive
Indefinite antecedents
Superlative constructions
Concessive statements
Set expressions and commands

 

Conjunctions requiring the subjunctive

Which French conjunctions require the subjunctive?
When is an infinitive construction preferred to the subjunctive?

Which French conjunctions require the subjunctive?

There are quite a number of conjunctions in French that are normally followed by a subjunctive. Memorization is about the only sure way to learn which conjunctions require the subjunctive and which don't. Here are the most important ones, in alphabetical order:

  • à condition que, pourvu que = on condition that, provided, as long as
    Je t'accompagnerai à condition que tu me paies le voyage.
       (I'll go with you provided that you pay for my trip.)
    Remember that the English conjunction as long as has two distinct meanings. One is illustrated here; the other one ('for as long a period as') corresponds to the French conjunction tant que and is followed by an indicative.

  • à moins que = unless
    Il ne survivra pas à moins que quelqu'un de plus spécialisé (ne) prenne soin de lui.
       (He will not survive unless someone more specialised looks after him.)
    The ne in brackets is known as the pleonastic ne. It has no negative meaning and is only used in writing, with a handful of conjunctions (cf. the examples below). Its use is no longer mandatory and is becoming rarer, even in formal writing.

  • avant que = before
    Ils veulent planter des pommes de terre avant qu'il (ne) fasse trop froid.
       (They want to plant potatoes before it gets too cold.)
  • bien que, quoique = although
    J'ai bien aimé ce film, quoiqu'il soit un peu long.
       (I really liked this film, although it was a bit long.)
  • de peur que, de crainte que = for fear that
    Ils ont fermé la porte à clé, de peur que quelqu'un (ne) les surprenne pendant qu'ils font l'amour.
       (They've locked the door, for fear that someone catches them red-handed while they're making love.)
  • jusqu'à ce que = until

    Tu resteras dans ta chambre jusqu'à ce que tu promettes de ne plus te moquer de ta grand-mère.
       (You will stay in your room until you promise not to laugh at your grandmother anymore.)

    Not until is usually equivalent to not before and is therefore translated by means of ne ... pas avant que.

    En fait, j'ai une meilleure idée : tu ne redescendras pas avant qu'elle (ne) soit partie.
       (In fact, I've got a better idea: you won't come back down until she has left.)

  • pour que, afin que = so (that), in order that
    Téléphone à tes parents afin qu'ils sachent où nous sommes.
       (Call your parents, so they know where we are.)
  • sans que = without
    Il a fini le travail sans que son voisin (ne) s'en rende compte.
       (He finished the work without his neighbor realizing it.

When is an infinitive construction preferred to the subjunctive?

If there is no change of subject between the two parts of the sentence, an infinitive construction (without a subject) is preferred (and sometimes even obligatory), at least with some conjunctions. These then take on a prepositional form.

  • à condition que becomes à condition de:
    Tu pourras venir à condition de faire tous les préparatifs nécessaires.
       (You can come as long as you do all the necessary preparation.)
  • afin que becomes afin de:
    Je vais leur téléphoner afin de commander une pizza.
       (I'm going to call them to order a pizza.)
  • avant que becomes avant de:
    Maman ne pourra te téléphoner avant d'avoir fait toutes ses courses.
       (Mum won't be able to call you before she has done all the shopping.)
  • de peur que and de crainte que become de peur de and de crainte de:
    Elle est partie à temps de peur d'arriver trop tard.
       (She left on time for fear of arriving late.)
  • pour que becomes pour:
    Ce prof fera tout pour vous convaincre que deux et deux font cinq.
       (This teacher will do anything to convince you that two and two are five.)
  • sans que becomes sans:
    Pourquoi serait-il parti sans nous prévenir ?
       (Why would he have left without warning us?)

A few conjunctions (bien que, quoique, pourvu que, jusqu'à ce que) have no prepositional form, and they cannot be used with the infinitive. Their form remains unchanged, even when used with a repeated subject.

Nous viendrons bien que nous soyons fatigués.
   (We'll come even though we are tired.)
Tu réussiras à cet examen pourvu que tu étudies !
   (You will pass this exam as long as you study!)

Indefinite antecedents

Probably the most interesting use of the subjunctive in French is with indefinite antecedents. This is one of the few times that the subjunctive can exist in a sentence without the conjunction que.

An indefinite antecedent exists when the object talked about, or referenced in the main clause, is nonexistant or its existence is in doubt.

  • This is quite commonly the case when we are talking about a search for something or someone with certain qualities:

    Nous cherchons quelqu'un qui puisse travailler indépendamment.
       (We are looking for someone who could work independently.)
    Elle cherche un appartement qui ne soit pas trop cher.
       (She's looking for a flat which isn't too expensive [i.e. she's hoping to find such an apartment, but she doesn't know if it exists].)

    Compare these with:

    Je cherche un étudiant qui vient de New York.
       (I am looking for a student who comes from New York [i.e. I know that this student exists, and I am trying to locate him].)

  • Indefinite antecedents are also encountered after a negative or an interrogative verb phrase:

    • Negative (including the restrictive construction ne ... que):

      Il ne connait personne qui veuille aller à cette fête.
         (He doesn't know anyone who wants / who would want to go to that party.)
      Il n'y a rien du tout dans cette histoire qui soit compréhensible.
         (There is nothing at all in this story that is understandable.)
      Il n'y a que toi qui aies pitié de moi.
         (You are the only one to pity me.)

      Compare these with:

      Il connait quelqu'un qui veut aller à cette fête.
         (He knows someone who wants to go to that party.)

    • Interrogative:

      Avez-vous un collègue qui soit au courant de la situation ?
         (Do you have a colleague who knows about the situation?

      Compare this with:

      Nous avons beaucoup de collègues qui sont au courant de la situation.
         (We have lots of colleagues who know about the situation.)

Superlatives

When a superlative (including expressions such as le premier, le dernier, le seul) is followed by the relative pronoun que, the verb that comes next is usually in the subjunctive. The subjunctive is used to emphasize the subjective quality of the statement.

C'est la plus belle perle que j'aie jamais vue.
   (That is the most beautiful pearl that I have ever seen.)
La seule voiture bleue que nous puissions conduire se trouve là-bas.
   (The only blue car that we can drive is over there.)
C'est la meilleure réponse que je puisse imaginer.
   (That is the best answer that I can [possibly] imagine.)

In some instances, the indicative will be required, when, instead of a subjective opinion, a matter of fact is stated:

C'est la seule réponse qu'il sait.
   (That is the only answer he knows.)
Il y a trois jeunes filles à la porte. C'est la plus petite qu'il a embrassée.
   (There are three girls at the door. It is the shortest that he has hugged.)

Concessive statements
  • The phrases qui que (whoever), où que (wherever) and quoi que (whatever) are followed by the subjunctive:

Qui que ce soit au téléphone, dis-lui de rappeler plus tard.
   (Whoever is on the phone, tell them to call back later.)
Où que j'aille dans la vie, je me souviendrai de votre gentillesse.
   (Wherever I go in life, I will remember your kindness.)
Quoi que tu fasses, ne dis rien à mon petit ami !
   (Whatever you do, don't tell my boyfriend!)

Quoi que, written in two words, must of course be distinguished from quoique, in one word. Note the idiomatic construction quoi qu'il en soit, which means be that as it may / whatever the case may be.

  • With qui que, there must always be a subject pronoun that follows (ce in the example above). The qui itself cannot be a subject. The use of qui que to translate the whoever in Whoever can come this morning will be welcome is therefore preferably avoided (it can only be used provided the utterance is rephrased). The best translation of Whoever can come this morning will be welcome is as follows, and no subjunctive is needed:

Tous ceux qui pourront venir ce matin seront la bienvenue.
   (All those who can come this morning will be welcome.   --   ceux is a demonstrative pronoun)

  • If an English whatever equals whichever and is accompanied by a noun, as in whatever / whichever difficulties you come across, quel que must be used instead of quoi que. There are other possibilities, but this is the most common one. The quel is an adjective and must agree with the following noun. The noun itself must be used in conjunction with the verb être. A literal translation would be: Whatever the difficulties are that you face. Only the first of the two verbs goes into the subjunctive.

    Quelles que soient les difficultés que vous rencontrez, ayez le courage de les affronter.
       (Whatever / whichever dificulties you come across, be brave enough to confront them.)

  • Quel que must not be confused with quelque ... que, which is mostly used with an intervening adjective (as in however rich they are / may be). The quelque is an adverb and does not change. It does not lose its final vowel before another vowel either.

    Quelque riches qu'ils soient, ils ne peuvent pas se permettre ce voyage.
       (However rich they are / may be, they can't afford that trip.)
    Quelque aimable que tu sois, elle ne te fera jamais confiance.
       (However kind you are / may be, she will never trust you.)

  • Instead of quelque ... que, several other constructions, the most common of which are (aus)si ... que and tout ... que, may be used. They all mean the same thing.

    Si idiot que cela paraisse, rends-moi ce service.
       (However idiotic it may seem, do me this favor.)

    The tout in tout ... que is subject to some very specific spelling rules, as it is the only adverb in French that may have to agree with the following adjective.

  • There are two more concessive phrases that need to be mentioned. One is built around the words que ... ou non:

    Que nous le lui demandions ou non, il ne le fera pas.
       (Whether we ask him or not, he won't do it.)

    The other one consists of two parts, each of which is followed by the subjunctive.

    • Soit qu'elle ait trouvé la vie à la campagne trop difficile, soit qu'elle ait préféré la ville pour d'autres raisons, elle a disparu sans laisser la moindre trace.
       (Whether she found life in the country too hard, or whether she preferred the city for other reasons, she left without a trace.)

Set expressions and commands

Certain set expressions are conjugated in the subjunctive:

Ainsi soit-il !
   (So be it! Amen!)
Vive ... ! - as in Vive la reine !
   (Long live the queen!)
Advienne que pourra !
   (Come what may!)

A sentence beginning with Que followed by the subjunctive denotes a command or an exhortation:

Qu'il parte tout de suite !
   (Let him leave immediately!)
Qu'on me dise la vérité !
   (Let someone tell me the truth!)


 
 

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© 2005 Bert Peeters except where stated otherwise