When do I need to use the subjunctive in French?

Although the subjunctive is becoming less common in informal spoken French today, it is still important for you to be able to recognise it and form it for use in written language. The subjunctive isn’t actually a tense – in fact, it can be used in several different tenses. It is known as a ‘mood.’ The first main usage of the subjunctive is after verbs used to express emotions such as hope, fear, desire and uncertainty – when something is thought or felt to be the case. These verbs are usually followed by ‘que.’ Verbs that trigger the subjunctive can be divided into: 1. Verbs that express a will, wish or necessity (vouloir, souhaiter + que), 2. Verbs that express a doubt or fear (avoir peur, se douter +que), 3. Verbs that express emotions or opinions (adorer, detester + que) and 3. Verbs that express regret or happiness (regretter, être desolé + que). The other main usage of the subjunctive mood is after certain set expressions and conjunctions with ‘que’, for example: ‘bien que’, ‘à condition que’, and ‘afin que’ You will need to memorise the most common of these expressions by heart.