When do you use the subjunctive in French?

After expressions of necessity, wish, feeling, doubt or possibility, and after some conjunctions, when the two parts have different subjects: il faut que tu viennes, je veux qu’il sache, bien qu’il pleuve. Statements of fact, opinion and certainty take the indicative.

Does « espérer que » take the subjunctive?

No. Espérer que takes the indicative, often the futur: j’espère que tu vas bien, j’espère qu’il viendra. Its neighbour souhaiter que takes the subjunctive: je souhaite que tu viennes.

Does « après que » take the subjunctive?

In correct written French, no: après que takes the indicative because the action has happened (après qu’il est parti). You will hear the subjunctive in speech, by analogy with avant que, which does take the subjunctive (avant qu’il parte).

Is Lava flow free to play?

Yes. The first 6 levels are free with no sign-up, and levels 7 to 12 are free with an account, which also saves your stars on every device. Levels 13 to 30 come with Premium, together with every 3D game’s later levels and all the mock tests.

French subjunctive practice: cross the lava on the right mood

La coulée

French subjunctive practice at full speed: you stand on a stone in a river of lava, the sentence shows a gap (Il faut que tu ___ patient.) and each stone ahead carries a form: sois, es, seras. Jump before your stone sinks. Thirty levels in five worlds take you from il faut que and the regular subjunctive to the irregular verbs, the triggers that take the indicative, the conjunctions and the past subjunctive, and every wrong stone shows you the rule.

3 min a round
30 levels
First 6 levels free, no sign-up
Writing
Speaking

3D game: plays full screen on phones.

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30 levels, 5 worlds

From the basics to exam speed

Each level is one round of about 3 minutes. Win a star to open the next level, and replay for three stars. The first 6 levels are free with no sign-up, levels 7–12 with a free account, and Premium opens all 30.

World 1 · levels 1–6
Il faut que
Il faut que…
The regular subjunctive: the ils stem + -e, -es, -e, -ions, -iez, -ent: il faut que tu partes.
· Free, no sign-up
World 2 · levels 7–12
Irregular verbs
Les irréguliers
Que je sois, que j’aie, que j’aille, que je fasse, and wishes: je veux que tu viennes.
· Free account
World 3 · levels 13–18
Which mood?
Subjonctif ou indicatif
Feelings and doubt take the subjunctive, opinions and hope the indicative: je doute qu’il sache, je pense qu’il sait.
· Premium
World 4 · levels 19–24
Conjunctions
Les conjonctions
Bien qu’il soit but parce qu’il est, je ne pense pas que ce soit, and après que with the indicative.
· Premium
World 5 · levels 25–30
Exam mix
Mélange examen
One subject → infinitive, the past subjunctive, quoi que tu fasses, and every trigger at exam speed.
· Premium

How to play

1Read the sentence: « Il faut que tu ___ patient. » Each stone ahead carries a form.
2Tap a stone, or swipe to aim and swipe up to jump, before the stone under you sinks.
3A wrong stone crumbles: you climb back out, see the right form and the rule. Win stars to open the next level.

What it trains

Choosing the mood the way you need it to write and speak: the regular subjunctive (que tu partes, que nous finissions), the irregular ones (que je sois, que j’aie, que j’aille, que je fasse, que je sache), wishes, feelings and doubt versus opinions and hope (je doute qu’il vienne but je pense qu’il vient), conjunctions (bien qu’il soit but parce qu’il est), negative opinions, the infinitive when the subject is the same, and the past subjunctive.

Why it matters for TCF and TEF Canada

The subjunctive is how French expresses what you want, need, fear or doubt, and the TCF Canada and TEF Canada writing and speaking tasks ask exactly for that: giving advice, arguing for or against, reacting to a situation. Using il faut que, bien que or je ne pense pas que with the right form shows an examiner B1–B2 control of grammar. Getting it automatic helps you reach the levels Canada looks at, from NCLC 4 for citizenship to NCLC 7 for Express Entry points.

Practise writing in the real format: TCF Canada writing practice · TEF Canada writing practice

Learn while you play

Rules and tips to remember

Build it from the ils form
Take the present of ils, drop -ent and add -e, -es, -e, -ions, -iez, -ent: ils finissent → que je finisse, ils prennent → que tu prennes. Nous and vous use the nous stem: que nous prenions.
Opinion is indicative, doubt is subjunctive
Je pense qu’il a raison, je crois que, je suis sûr que, j’espère que take the indicative. Make them negative or doubtful and they switch: je ne pense pas qu’il ait raison, je doute qu’il ait raison.
Same subject? Use the infinitive
The subjunctive needs two different subjects. With one, use the infinitive: je veux partir (not que je parte), elle est contente d’avoir réussi. With two: je veux que tu partes.

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