POUVOIR Subjonctif

POUVOIR Subjonctif: The subjunctive mode is used to indicate a contemplated or hypothetical action, a doubt or a wish. It is the mode of the unreal. It is used with verbs expressing desire, wish, doubt, emotion and uncertainty.

In its construction, we add “que” or “qu’” before the verb to indicate the subjunctive.

To be able to – Subjonctif

French	English
Pouvoir Subjonctif Présent	Present Subjunctive
que je puisse	that I could or that I may be able to
que tu puisses	that you could that you may be able to (sing.)
qu’il puisse	that he could that he may be able to
qu’elle puisse	that she could that she may be able to
que nous puissions	that we could that we may be able to
que vous puissiez	that you could that you may be able to (plur.)
qu’ils puissent	that they could that they may be able to (masc.)
qu’elles puissent	that they could that they may be able to (fem.)

To be able to – Other Tenses

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Practice the verb “To be able to” in present Subjunctive using Quizlet:

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When to Use the Subjonctif in French:

After Expressions of Emotion or Feeling:
- Je suis content que tu sois là. (I’m happy that you’re here.)
After Verbs of Doubt or Uncertainty:
- Je doute que ce soit vrai. (I doubt that it’s true.)
After Verbs of Desire or Will:
- Je veux que tu fasses ça. (I want you to do that.)
After Certain Conjunctions:
- Pour que tu comprennes, je vais expliquer. (So that you understand, I’ll explain.)
- Common conjunctions: pour que, bien que, avant que, jusqu’à ce que.
After Impersonal Expressions:
- Il est important que tu écoutes. (It’s important that you listen.)
In Relative Clauses with Superlatives:
- C’est le meilleur film que j’aie vu. (It’s the best movie I’ve seen.)