Ch 32 · Lesson 9French · Chapter 32 · Lesson 9 · Grammar primer
The subjunctive after superlatives
: after a superlative, careful French puts the relative clause in the subjunctive, usually the past subjunctive, and a bare means ever.
The short version
After a superlative, careful French says
.
Why?Hide
The best film you have ever seen is a judgement, not a measurement, so careful written French puts the relative clause after a superlative in the subjunctive: , not . These claims look back, so the past subjunctive is the usual tense. Speech often keeps the indicative; an essay should not.
A bare
.
Why?Hide
means never only with beside it. After a superlative, with no , it means ever: is the worst advice she has ever given. Add and the sentence turns into its opposite.
After a superlative or an exclusive word ( , , ), careful French puts the relative clause in the subjunctive. The claim is a judgement nobody could check. A plain checkable fact usually keeps the indicative.
| Trigger | Example | English |
|---|---|---|
| superlative | | the best film I have ever seen |
| the only person who understands me | |
| the first student to understand | |
| y a | | only you know |
| a fact | | the only train that leaves at noon |
| the first time I have come here |
The last two rows are the exceptions, and they get their own section below. If the mood itself is new, start with subjunctive or indicative.
Superlatives: a judgement, not a fact
"The best film I have ever seen" claims that this film beats every other one you have seen, on a scale you never defined. Nobody could check it. French treats the clause as a judgement, not a statement about the world:
| Superlative | Example | English |
|---|---|---|
| | the most beautiful town I know |
| | the worst meal we have eaten |
| | the best book I have read |
| | the cheapest book he found |
Every superlative counts: and with any adjective, and the irregular and . Building them is on the superlatives page; this page is about what comes after.
Jamais means ever
The signature word of this structure is , and here it does not mean never. is negative only with beside it:
.- I have never seen him.
A bare with no near it means "ever". Read it as "never" and the sentence turns inside out.
Usually the past subjunctive
These claims look back over everything you have seen or done, so the tense you need most is the past subjunctive: the subjunctive of or plus the participle. With , one silent letter separates it from the :
| Auxiliary | Past subjunctive | English |
|---|---|---|
| that I have read | |
| that she has given | |
| that we have eaten | |
| that he has come |
For a state that still holds, the present subjunctive is the one: (the only person who understands me).
Watch the participle while you think about the mood. A placed before is a direct object, so the participle agrees with it:
Going further: Le seul, le premier, le dernier and the rest of the guide, when you want them. This lesson does not need them.
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