Advanced mood and distanceFrenchB2

Subjunctive with emotion, judgment, and uncertainty

French uses the subjunctive after many expressions of emotion, evaluation, and uncertain interpretation.

Examples

FrenchTranslation
Il est possible qu’elle arrive plus tard.

It is possible that she will arrive later.

Je suis surpris qu’il soit déjà parti.

I am surprised that he has already left.

Il vaut mieux que nous attendions.

It is better that we wait.

Pattern

emotion/judgment + que + subjunctive

How it works

French uses the subjunctive after many expressions of emotion, evaluation, and uncertain interpretation. This pattern typically appears as emotion/judgment + que + subjunctive and becomes easier when you meet it again in short, readable examples.

What to notice

  • The subjunctive often marks a non-neutral stance toward the content.
  • A more factual framing would usually stay in the indicative.

Why it matters

Move from simple recognition into more controlled stance and hypothesis.

Use in context

At B2, the important step is understanding why the speaker is presenting the event through attitude rather than fact.