Mission: react to news from a friend
Subjunctive, part 2. Show feelings, wishes and doubt, and know when French keeps the indicative.
FrenchB1 · Opinions and debateAbout 7 min: 3 reading, 4 practiceUpdated
- Use the subjunctive after feelings: je suis content / désolé / surpris que
- Express a wish with j'aimerais que
- Express doubt with je doute que, je ne pense pas que, je ne crois pas que
- Keep the indicative after certainty: je pense que, je suis sûr que
- Use bien que, pour que and avant que with the subjunctive
Opinions and debate: lesson 3 of 4
- B1 · Opinions and debate
- Mission: give your opinion at a dinner party 6 min
- Mission: tell your flatmates what needs doing 7 min
- Mission: react to news from a friend 7 min
- Mission: win an argument politely 7 min
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Level Level B1 (around the DELF B1 exam). Real French: reacting to a friend's big news.
What it is
Your mission: your friend Julien phones. He has a promotion, but the job is in Lille, far from Paris. React in four ways: show you're happy, show you're sorry, express a doubt, and say you're sure of something. Use tu.
The subjunctive is the mood of what isn't simply a fact: how you feel about it, what you wish, what you doubt.
| After… | Mood | Example |
|---|---|---|
| a feeling (content, désolé, surpris, triste que) | subjunctive | Je suis content que tu aies ce poste. |
| a wish (j'aimerais que) | subjunctive | J'aimerais que tu restes. |
| a doubt (je doute que, je ne pense pas que, je ne crois pas que) | subjunctive | Je doute que ce soit facile. |
| a certainty (je pense que, je crois que, je suis sûr que, je sais que) | indicative | Je suis sûr que tu vas réussir. |
So the same idea changes mood with your certainty: je pense que tu as raison (indicative) but je ne pense pas que tu aies raison (subjunctive).
Three connectors always take the subjunctive:
- bien que (although): bien qu'il soit fatigué, il travaille.
- pour que (so that): je t'aide pour que tu finisses plus vite.
- avant que (before): appelle-moi avant que tu partes.
With pour que and avant que, if the subject doesn't change, use the infinitive: pour finir, avant de partir. Bien que keeps the subjunctive even with one subject: bien qu'il soit fatigué, il travaille.
Quick check
Tap an answer to check it.
« Je suis content que tu … ce poste. » (avoir)
- Indicative: a feeling like content que needs the subjunctive
- The infinitive isn't used after que
Show answer
aies. je suis content que + subjunctive; avoir → aie, aies.
Why it matters
When a friend shares news, a flat "ah, d'accord" won't do: you're expected to react. French does it with a few frames (je suis content que, dommage que, j'aimerais que, je doute que), all followed by the subjunctive. And arguments need bien que and pour que. Giving a point of view is also part of the DELF B1 speaking test (expression d'un point de vue).
Worked example
On the phone with Julien:
- Julien: Salut ! J'ai une grande nouvelle: j'ai eu une promotion, mais c'est à Lille.
- You: Félicitations ! Je suis content que tu aies ce poste.
- Julien: Merci. Mais je suis inquiet pour le déménagement.
- You: Je comprends. Je suis désolé que tu partes si loin, et je doute que ce soit facile au début.
- Julien: Tu as sans doute raison.
- You: Bien que ce soit loin, je suis sûr que tu vas réussir. Et j'aimerais que tu m'appelles régulièrement.
- Julien: Promis. Je t'appelle avant de partir !
Real French: c'est dommage que + subjunctive (it's a shame that) and c'est super que + subjunctive are very frequent reactions: c'est dommage que tu partes. And quel dommage ! alone is a complete reaction.
Common mistake
Using the indicative after a feeling or after a negative opinion: wrong: je suis content que tu as ce poste, wrong: je ne pense pas qu'il vient. Use que tu aies, je ne pense pas qu'il vienne.
And the opposite: using the subjunctive after certainty: wrong: je pense que tu aies raison, wrong: je suis sûr que ce soit vrai. Certainty keeps the indicative: je pense que tu as raison.
Quick check
Tap an answer to check it.
"I'm sure he'll succeed." Which is right?
- Certainty keeps the indicative
- Doubt takes the subjunctive, and it says the opposite
Show answer
Je suis sûr qu'il va réussir.. je suis sûr que + indicative.
Key terms
- je suis content / heureux que
- I'm glad that
- je suis désolé / triste que
- I'm sorry / sad that
- je suis surpris que
- I'm surprised that
- c'est dommage que
- it's a shame that
- j'aimerais que
- I would like (someone) to
- je doute que
- I doubt that
- je ne pense pas que
- I don't think that
- bien que
- although
- pour que
- so that
- avant que
- before
Practise the key terms
Tap a card to turn it over. 10 cards.
| Front | Back |
|---|---|
| je suis content / heureux que | I'm glad that |
| je suis désolé / triste que | I'm sorry / sad that |
| je suis surpris que | I'm surprised that |
| c'est dommage que | it's a shame that |
| j'aimerais que | I would like (someone) to |
| je doute que | I doubt that |
| je ne pense pas que | I don't think that |
| bien que | although |
| pour que | so that |
| avant que | before |
Practice
Sort it
Which mood follows?
Je suis désolé que …
a feelingShow answer
Subjunctive. a feeling
Je suis sûr que …
certaintyShow answer
Indicative. certainty
Je doute que …
doubtShow answer
Subjunctive. doubt
Je pense que …
an affirmative opinionShow answer
Indicative. an affirmative opinion
Je ne crois pas que …
doubt, because of the negativeShow answer
Subjunctive. doubt, because of the negative
Bien que …
alwaysShow answer
Subjunctive. always
Quick quiz
Tap an answer to check it.
« Bien que … fatigué, il travaille. » (être, il)
- bien que needs the subjunctive
- bien que needs the subjunctive, not the imparfait
Show answer
soit. bien que + subjunctive; il soit.
« Je ne pense pas qu'il … ce soir. » (venir)
- After je ne pense pas que, French uses the subjunctive
- The infinitive isn't used after que
Show answer
vienne. je ne pense pas que + subjunctive; ils viennent → vienn-.
Julien says « J'ai peur de ne pas réussir. » You are certain he will. You say:
- That says you doubt it
- Certainty keeps the indicative
Show answer
Je suis sûr que tu vas réussir.. je suis sûr que + indicative.
Build the sentence
Build "I'll call you before you leave."
Show answer
Je t'appelle avant que tu partes.. avant que + subject + subjunctive.
Practise speaking
Studyfern has no voice tools of its own. To practise out loud, copy this prompt into a voice-capable AI assistant and talk with it.
Mission role-play. You are Julien, my friend, who has just been promoted to a job in Lille and phones me with the news. Speak naturally but clearly, at level B1, using tu. Start with « Salut ! J'ai une grande nouvelle… ». Tell me bits of news one at a time (the promotion, the move, the flat, the leaving party), and wait for me to react. After each of my reactions, tell me in English what kind of mistake I made, if any, and let me try again; watch the subjunctive after feelings, wishes and doubt, the indicative after je pense que and je suis sûr que, and bien que, pour que, avant que. The mission is complete when I have shown that I am happy, sorry, doubtful and sure of something, correctly, (bien que, pour que and avant que are a bonus if you want to practise them): then say « Mission accomplie ! » and give me one tip. Keep every reply under 3 sentences.
Listen too. Listen to native speakers before and after: see the free listening and shadowing links.
Good to know. AI feedback on pronunciation is hit and miss, so check yourself against native recordings. Many assistants turn your speech into text first, so a vowel or liaison you got wrong may be silently “heard” as the right word. Don't share personal details: use a made-up name and town.
New to this? Read Practising speaking with an AI.
In short
- Feelings and wishes take the subjunctive: je suis content que tu aies…, j'aimerais que tu restes.
- Doubt takes the subjunctive: je doute que, je ne pense pas que, je ne crois pas que.
- Certainty keeps the indicative: je pense que, je crois que, je suis sûr que.
- Bien que, pour que, avant que always take the subjunctive.
- With pour que and avant que, same subject: use the infinitive (pour finir, avant de partir); bien que keeps the subjunctive.
Mastery check
Answer without looking back. Score 80% or more and the lesson is marked done. Your result is kept only in this browser.
Check yourself
Answer in your head first, then open the answer. Nothing is saved.
Tell a friend you're glad he has the job.
Show answer
Je suis content que tu aies ce poste.
Which mood follows je suis sûr que?
Show answer
The indicative.
Complete: « Je ne pense pas que ce … facile. » (être)
Show answer
soit.
Further reading
- TV5MONDE, Apprendre le français, free exercises on the subjunctive, built on real TV clips.
- RFI, Journal en français facile, a free daily news bulletin in simple French.
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