Kilo Lingo
French grammar Part of Chapter 19

CEFR B1

4 min read

Test yourself (26 questions)

French Subjunctive After il faut que and vouloir que

By Michael McGettrickUpdated 12 October 2026

What must happen, and what someone wants, has not happened yet: French marks it with the subjunctive. Name a second person after , and the verb goes subjunctive. Name nobody else, and it stays an infinitive.

subjunctiveinfinitive (one subject)indicative (a fact)What do the colours mean?
TriggerFrenchEnglish
.You have to leave.
.You had better take the train.
.It is important that he comes.
.I want you to come.
.I demand that you be there.
the same person .I want to leave.

Quick check

Now use it: three quick questions on the chart above. The full practice is further down.

Spot the mistake

0/3

Tap the mistake English speakers make.

il faut que: the workhorse

(it is necessary that) is the commonest subjunctive trigger in French. Name the person who has to act, and the verb after goes subjunctive:

  • . - You have to leave.
  • . - We must be careful.
  • . - We have to be on time.
  • . - She has to finish her work.

Name nobody, and takes a plain infinitive, with no :

  • . - We have to go. / One must leave.
  • . - You have to be careful.
Trigger
que
Who
Verb
empty
empty

The tense of changes; the subjunctive after it stays in the present:

falloirFrenchEnglish
present .You have to leave.
imparfait .You had to leave.
future .You will have to leave.
conditional .You ought to leave.

il vaut mieux que, il est important que

The impersonal expressions of necessity and advice work exactly like . They differ in how hard they push:

AdviceMust
  1. Il vaut mieux que tu partes.you had better
  2. Il est important que tu partes.it matters
  3. Il faut que tu partes.you have to
ExpressionExampleEnglish
.You had better take the train.
.It is important that he comes.
.You need to answer at once.
.It is essential she knows the truth.

With nobody named they take an infinitive: a bare one after , and plus the infinitive after + adjective.

No one namedFrenchEnglish
.It is better to leave.
.It is important to understand.
.It is necessary to leave early.

Verbs of will: vouloir que, exiger que

subjunctiveinfinitive (one subject)indicative (a fact)What do the colours mean?

Verbs of wanting, wishing and demanding all behave like . Aimed at someone else, they take plus the subjunctive. They range from a wish to an order:

How hard you push
SoftFirm
  1. souhaiter quewish
  2. vouloir quewant
  3. demander queask
  4. exiger quedemand
VerbExampleEnglish
.I wish for you to be happy.
.I want you to come.
.I would rather you came tomorrow.
.He asks that you wait here.
.I demand that you be there.
.He orders everyone to leave.

is formal. In everyday French you ask a person to do something with + person + + infinitive:

  • . - I am asking you to come.

One subject or two: the infinitive rule

This rule decides between the infinitive and the subjunctive for every verb on this page. Ask who does the second action:

Want
que
Who
Second verb
empty
empty
empty
empty
Who actsFrenchEnglish
the same person .I want to leave.
someone else .I want you to leave.
the same person .She wants to come.
someone else .She wants us to come.

English says to leave in both I want to leave and I want you to leave. French builds them differently, and neither half swaps: and are both wrong. The rule reaches well beyond ; the infinitive or subjunctive page follows it through every verb type.

Certainty takes the indicative

What someone wants is not real yet; what you know is. Verbs of knowing and certainty state a fact, so they keep the indicative:

TriggerFrenchEnglish
will .I want him to come.
knowledge .I know he is coming.
necessity .She has to be there.
certainty .It is certain she is there.
opinion .I think he is right.

works the same way: . - It is true that it is cold. Negate an opinion and it can flip to the subjunctive ( . - I do not think he is right); that is on the doubt and emotion page.

Mistakes English speakers make

WrongRightWhy
.the trigger needs a subjunctive
.one subject: the infinitive
.two subjects: + subjunctive
. becomes
.knowing states a fact
. + adjective +

What to do next

  1. Say three things you have to do this week, starting ...
  2. Tell someone what you want them to do, with ...
  3. Next: the subjunctive after doubt and emotion, or the whole mood explained.

Practise: test yourself

Sort into groups

0/8

Which mood follows each opening: the subjunctive or the indicative?

Tap a word, then the group it belongs in.

Complete the story

0/5

Choose the right form for each gap.

The night before the trip

Demain, nous partons à Nice. Ma mère veut que je ma valise ce soir. Moi, je veux tard, mais il faut que nous à six heures. Mon père dit : « Il vaut mieux que tu au lit avant dix heures. » Je sais qu'il raison.

Gap 1 of 5

Spot the mistake

0/5

Tap the mistake English speakers make.

Put the words in order

0/3

Put the words in order.

  1. I want you to come.

    Your sentence is empty.

  2. We have to be careful.

    Your sentence is empty.

  3. It is better to leave.

    Your sentence is empty.

Pick the right one

0/5

Choose the form the sentence needs.

  1. Je veux . (I want to leave)

  2. Elle veut que nous avec elle. (venir)

  3. Il fallait que tu tôt. (partir)

  4. Il est important comprendre la règle. (no one named)

  5. Je préfère que vous demain. (venir)

Chapters 1 and 2 free

This article is one lesson in a whole course

Every grammar point has its own article and drill, and the course wraps them in graded stories, games and printable worksheets, in the order you need them.

Chapters 1 and 2 free, forever. Plus: 7 days free, then $5 a month for all eleven languages.

Start learning free

French · Free printables

Practice worksheets and infographics

Practice worksheets with answer keys built in, plus infographic and listicle formats. Open any one to view, print or save.

Part of Kilo Lingo Plus

Printables beyond chapters 1 and 2 are part of Kilo Lingo Plus. Sign up free and start your free week to download as many as you like: no card.

Start your free week (no card)

More grammar on this course

Frequently asked questions

When does take the subjunctive in French?
When you name the person who has to act. Naming them needs a clause, and the verb in it goes subjunctive: (you have to leave), (we must be careful). Name nobody and takes a plain infinitive: (we have to go, one must leave).
Why is it but ?
Because of the two-subject rule. When the person who wants is also the person who leaves, French uses an infinitive: (I want to leave). When they are different people, French opens a clause with the subjunctive: (I want you to leave). English says 'to leave' in both, which is why learners write , which is not French.
Which expressions of necessity and will trigger the subjunctive?
Necessity: , , , , . Will: , , , , , , . All of them are about something not yet real. Verbs of knowing and certainty, such as or , state a fact and take the indicative: .
What subjunctive follows or ?
Still the present subjunctive. The tense of , but modern French does not change the subjunctive to match: (you had to leave), (you will have to leave), (you ought to leave). The imperfect subjunctive ( ) survives only in formal literary writing.
Is it or ?
Both, for different jobs. With a named person, plus the subjunctive: (it is important that you understand). With nobody named, plus the infinitive: (it is important to understand). takes a bare infinitive with no : (it is better to leave).