📖LearnModule 11 · Lesson 9 of 30Proficient User · CEFR C1, first halfUnit 2 · Le subjonctif, mastered
Subjonctif ou indicatif — le sens change
Module 11 of the free French course (CEFR C1, first half), lesson 9 of 30: Some pairs change meaning with the mood. On this page: 7 words with their genders and respellings, the rule, a watch-out line, the conjugation table and the audio — the study notes behind the workbook's lesson 9.
The words
French
English
Say it
bien que
although
BYA(n) kuh
je ne pense pas qu'il vienne
I do not think he is coming
zhuh nuh pah(n)s pah keel VYEHN
à condition que
provided that
ah koh(n)-dee-SYOH(n) kuh
jusqu'à ce que
until
zhews-KAH suh kuh
avant que
before (conjunction)
ah-VAH(n) kuh
le sens
the meaning
luh SAH(n)S
la différence
the difference
lah dee-fay-RAH(n)S
Respellings follow the course’s say-it key; the stressed syllable is in capitals. Print this lesson’s flashcards (PDF) — the words on the front, the English and respelling on the back.
Hear the words
Each word is read twice — say it back in the gap. Computer-generated voice; credits on the course page.
La règle · The rule
Some pairs change meaning with the mood. Je pense qu'il vient (I think he is coming) but je ne pense pas qu'il vienne (I do not think he is). Je cherche un livre qui PUISSE m'aider — subjunctive, because the book may not exist; je connais un livre qui PEUT m'aider — indicative, because it is on the shelf.
Et aussi · And also
Bien que always takes the subjunctive; parce que never does. Bien qu'il soit tard, je continue. Je continue parce qu'il est tard.
Attention · Watch out
Some pairs change MEANING with the mood: un livre qui puisse m'aider (any book that could) against un livre qui peut (a specific one that can). parce que never takes the subjunctive.
venir, subjonctif — the table
je vienne · tu viennes · il/elle vienne · nous venions · vous veniez · ils/elles viennent
Do it now — on paper
Say all 7 words aloud twice from the respelling, then once from the French spelling alone — begin with bien que.
Copy every word with its accents on paper; then cover the English column and write each meaning back from the French.
Write out venir, subjonctif in full from memory, every person, and check each form against the table above.
This free course is the reading half. The writing half — write-in lessons, daily practice pages with built-in review, self-checks and a full answer key — is the companion workbook series, The French Ladder: one workbook per module, fifteen in all, released band by band with the Basic band (Modules 1–5) first.
Keep these words
Turn this lesson’s words into flashcards, then space your reviews — the two habits the research behind our study guides backs hardest.