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FALLOIR – IL FAUT – PRESENT TENSE LESSON

→ Watch my video lesson on the French verb FALLOIR.

→ Take the quiz at the end of the video to see how you can avoid using the subjunctive.

The verb FALLOIR is an IMPERSONAL verb. You can only use it in the IL form. In this lesson we will focus on the present tense, but you can use this verb in many other tenses.

Master the French verb FALLOIR – Included in my Bundled French Lessons for Self-Learner s

Examples from the lesson:

1. Il faut un passeport pour voyager à l’étranger.

IL FAUT + NOUN

You need a passport to travel abroad.

2. Il faut manger pour vivre et non vivre pour manger.

IL FAUT + INFINITIVE

You must eat to live and not live to eat.

3. Il faut commencer maintenant.

IL FAUT + INFINITIVE We need to start now.

Falloir = Avoir besoin de

You can still use the verbs DEVOIR and AVOIR BESOIN DE to mean MUST or NEED, but you’ll sound much more French if you use FALLOIR!

When you use the verb FALLOIR with the indirect object pronouns ME – TE – LUI – NOUS – VOUS – LEUR you can totally avoid the subjunctive by following them up with an INFINITIVE.. Just remember when translating sentences to English, IL will not be the first word you translate. It will be the pronoun. English and French are just different that way. Look at the following examples.

1. Il me faut un nouvel appartement.
I need a new apartment.

2. Il te faut des oeufs?
Do you need eggs?

3. Il lui faut son maillot de bain.
He / She needs his / her swimsuit.

4. Il lui faut ses baskets.
He / She needs his / her sports shoes.

5. Il nous faut une grande voiture.
We need a big car.

6. Il vous faut trois euros.
You need three euros.

7. Il leur faut du travail.
They need work.

GET YOUR FALLOIR LESSON GUIDE ON PATREON

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French subjunctive lesson:

→ Watch my video lesson on the French subjunctive.

→ Take the quiz at the end of the video. See the exercise at the bottom of this page, and I’ll tell you the answers during the video.

The subjunctive is rumored as the most difficult thing in French, but it’s not true. Watch the video lesson and follow along reading the text below the video link. I will not teach every exception in this lesson. Let’s keep it simple for now.

Master the French Present Subjunctive – Included in my Bundled French Lessons

→ When and why do we use the subjunctive in French?

→ How do you form the subjunctive?

→ Examples using the subjunctive in meaningful context.

French Subjunctive

The present French subjunctive refers to actions in the present or future.
Use the subjunctive when the sentence contains a dependent and a main clause.
The dependent and main clauses are connected by the word QUE.
One of the clauses will demonstrate a WEIRDO condition.
If what follows QUE is subjective in nature, you must use the subjunctive.

WEIRDO VERBS

W	Wishing / wanting
E	Emotion
I	Impersonal expressions
R	Request / require / recommend
D	Doubt / demand / deny
O	Opinions

What do sentences with a main and dependent clause connected by QUE look like? Here are some examples.

Wishing / Wanting

Je voudrais que tu finisses tes devoirs.

Je voudrais means I would like, so it demonstrates wanting.

The Je voudrais and the tu finisses tes devoirs are connected by QUE.

Just because I want THAT you finish your homework doesn’t mean you’re actually going to do it.

Emotions

Je suis triste qu’elle ne vienne pas.

Je suis triste means I am sad, so it demonstrates an emotion.

The Je suis triste and the elle ne vienne pas are connected by QUE.

I am sad THAT she’s not coming.

So why use the subjunctive here? There’s not really a doubt associated with she’s not coming, but anytime you’re dealing with emotion you do have to use the subjunctive.

Impersonal expressions

Il est important que nous répondions à toutes les questions.

Il est important means It is important, so that’s an impersonal expression.

The Il est important and the nous répondions à toutes les questions are connected by QUE.

It is important THAT we respond to all of the questions, but just because it’s important doesn’t necessarily mean it’s going to happen. Right?

Requests / Requirements / Recommendations

Je suggère que vous arriviez un peu en avance.

Je suggère means I suggest, so that’s a recommendation.

Je suggère and the vous arriviez un peu en avance are joined by QUE.

Just because I suggest THAT you arrive a little early doesn’t mean it’s going to happen.

Demands / doubts / denying

Il faut que je mette la table.

Il faut means It is necessary, so that’s a demand.

You can easily use Il faut followed by an infinitive and avoid the subjunctive altogether, but many times you’ll want to say Il faut que followed by another clause that begins with a subject.

In this example the Il faut and the je mette la table are joined by QUE.

Just because It is necessary THAT I set the table doesn’t mean I’ll do it.

Opinions

Je ne crois pas que ce soit une bonne idée.

Je ne crois pas means I don’t believe, so that demonstrates an Opinion.

The Je ne crois pas and the ce soit une bonne idée are connected by QUE.

Just because I don’t believe THAT it is a good idea doesn’t necessarily mean that it’s not.

How to Form the Present French Subjunctive

Before doing some exercises together I will show you how to form the subjunctive. There are just a few irregular verbs to learn. As you may have guessed, the irregular verbs are the ones we use all the time.

How to form the stem / radical

The stem is what you’ll add the subjunctive endings to.
Take the -ENT off of the 3rd person plural form of the present tense verb

Il faut	It is necessary
que	that
It is necessary *THAT* we write a letter.	Il faut que nous écrivions une lettre.
That we write a letter	This part of the sentence needs the subjunctive. Why? Remember, just because it’s necessary doesn’t mean we’re going to do it.

The verb «ÉCRIRE»: Present subjunctive

How do you form the stem / radical?	3rd person plural (indicative):Ils écrivent
	Take the -ENT off of the 3rd person plural form of the verb.
	Écriv- This is your stem
	Now add the subjunctive endings.
What are the subjunctive endings?	This is the present subjunctive of the verb écrire. The endings are in bold print:
	que j’écrive
	que tu écrives
	qu’il écrive / qu’elle écrive / qu’on écrive
	que nous écrivions
	que vous écriviez
	qu’ils écrivent
	qu’elles écrivent

Stem-Changing Verbs in the French Subjunctive

Verbs that are stem changing in the present indicative are the same in the subjunctive.
Keep the same stem in the je, tu, il / elle / on, and ils / elles forms.
Only the nous and vous forms that will be different, and the same is true in the regular present tense.
We will look at only 4 stem changing verbs, but know that the same rule applies to other verbs in the same category.

Boire

Form the stem the regular way: ils boivent, take off the -ent, and it becomes boiv- Only nous and vous will have a different stem.

que je boive	que nous buvions
que tu boives	que vous buviez
qu’il boive / qu’elle boive / qu’on boive	qu’ils boivent / qu’elles boivent

Envoyer

Form the stem the regular way: Nous and vous have an irregular stem; take the -ent off of the 3rd person plural form and you have the stem envoie-

que j’envoie	que nous envoyions
que tu envoies	que vous envoyiez
qu’il envoie / qu’elle envoie / qu’on envoie	qu’ils envoient / qu’elles envoient

Prendre

Nous and vous have an irregular stem; take the -ent off of the 3rd person plural form and you have the stem prenn-

que je prenne	que nous prenions
que tu prennes	que vous preniez
qu’il prenne / qu’elle prenne / qu’on prenne	qu’ils prennent / qu’elles prennent

Venir

Nous and vous have an irregular stem; take the -ent off of the 3rd person plural form and you have the stem vienn-

que je vienne	que nous venions
que tu viennes	que vous veniez
qu’il vienne / qu’elle vienne / qu’on vienne	qu’ils viennent / qu’elles viennent

Verbs with irregular stems (and regular endings)

Verbs with one stem

faire (fass-)	pouvoir (puiss-)	savoir (sach-)
Que je fasse	Que je puisse	Que je sache
Que tu fasses	Que tu puisses	Que tu saches
Qu’il fasse	Qu’il puisse	Qu’on sache
Que nous fassions	Que nous puissions	Que nous sachions
Que vous fassiez	Que vous puissiez	Que vous sachiez
Qu’ils fassent	Qu’ils puissent	Qu’ils sachent

Verbs with two stems

Aller (aill- / all-)

Vouloir (veuill- / voul-)

Que j’aille	Que nous allions	Que je veuille	Que nous voulions
Que tu ailles	Que vous alliez	Que tu veuilles	Que vous vouliez
Qu’il aille	Qu’ils aillent	Qu’il veuille	Qu’ils veuillent

Verbs with irregular stems and irregular endings

avoir

être

Que j’aie	Que nous ayons	Que je sois	Que nous soyons
Que tu aies	Que vous ayez	Que tu sois	Que vous soyez
Qu’il ait	Qu’ils aient	Qu’il soit	Qu’ils soient

Exercise to practice the French subjunctive

See the written questions here, and I’ll tell you the answer in the video around the 29 minute mark.
In the first exercise put all verbs in the present subjunctive.
In the second exercise you will need to decide between the subjunctive and the indicative.

Exercise 1

1	Il faut que tu _____ (faire) tes devoirs.
2	Je veux qu’il _____ (partir) ce soir.
3	Je regrette que vous _____ (être) en retard.
4	Elle est très heureuse que nous _____ (prendre) le train.
5	Il faut que vous _____ (dire) la vérité.
6	Je ne pense pas qu’il _____ (avoir) raison.
7	Je voudrais que tu _____ (apprendre) le russe.
8	Vous ne croyez pas qu’il ____ (vouloir) nous voir?
9	Je ne crois pas qu’ils se _____ (connaître).
10	Il faut que vous _____ (pouvoir) le comprendre.

Exercise 2

1	Je regrette que tu ne ____ pas venir avec nous à la campagne ce week-end.a. peux b. pouvais c. puisses d. pourras
2	Il est sûr que tu ____ le français plus vite en pratiquant tous les jours.a. apprendras b. apprennes c. appris d. apprenais
3	Il faut que vous ____ plus d’exercice physique.a. fassiez b. faites c. ferez d. faisiez
4	Nous sommes heureux que vous _____ à notre mariage.a. veniez b. viendrez c. viendriez d. venez
5	Il n’est pas certain que ce projet _____ une excellente opportunité pour nous.a. était b. sera c. est d. soit
6	Je veux que mon fils _____ plus soin de ses affaires.a. prenne b. prend c. prendra d. prenait
7	Le professeur exige que son élève ____ à l’examen.a. réussit b. réussisse c. réussira d. réussissait
8	Il ne me semble pas que tu ____ ta leçon par coeur. Tu dois encore réviser.a. savais b. sais c. saches d. sauras
9	Elle espère que tu _____ plus performant si tu acceptes de suivre cette formation.a. sois b. étais c. seras d. as été
10	Je ne pense pas qu’il ____ tort.a. avait b. a c. ait d. aura