Languages › French Does the French Verb 'Souhaiter' Need the Subjunctive? Share Flipboard Email Print Jamie Grill / Getty Images French Grammar Pronunciation & Conversation Vocabulary Resources For Teachers By ThoughtCo Updated February 07, 2019 When souhaiter ("to wish" or "to hope for") precedes a dependent clause beginning with que, the dependent clause uses a subjunctive verb. It joins a long list of other French verbs expressing someone's will, an order, a need, a piece of advice or a desire; they all also need the subjunctive in the que subordinate clause. 'Souhaiter' and 'Souhaiter Que' When used with que, souhaiter becomes souhaiter que ("to hope that"), which introduces a dependent clause that uses the French subjunctive. Souhaiter que is all about the emotion of hoping. Thus, it fulfills the subjunctive's basic requirement of expressing actions or ideas that are subjective or otherwise uncertain. Je souhaite qu'il vienne.I hope that he comes. Souhaitons que tout aille bien.We hope that all goes well. Il est à souhaiter que...It is to be hoped that... As with souhaiter que, the French subjunctive is nearly always found in dependent clauses introduced by que or qui, and the subjects of the dependent and main clauses are usually different, as in: Je veux que tu le fasses.I want you to do it. Il faut que nous partions.It is necessary that we leave. French Verbs and Expressions Similar to 'Souhaiter Que' Here are other verbs and expressions that, like souhaiter que, communicate someone's will, an order, a need, a piece of advice, or a desire. They all require the subjunctive in the dependent clause that begins with que. There are many other types of constructions that require the French subjunctive as well, which are listed and explained in the full-on "subjunctivator" (our term). aimer mieux que > to prefer thatcommander que > to order thatdemander que > to ask that (someone do something)désirer que > to desire thatdonner l'ordre que > to order thatempêcher que* > to prevent (someone from doing something)éviter que* > to avoidexiger que > to demand thatil est à souhaiter que > it is to be hoped thatil est essentiel que > it is essential thatil est important que > it is important thatil est naturel que > it is natural thatil est nécessaire que > it is necessary thatil est normal que > it is normal thatil est temps que > it is time thatil est urgent que > it is urgent thatil faut que > it is necessary that / we mustil vaut mieux que > it is better thatinterdire que > to forbid thats'opposer que > to oppose thatordonner que > to order thatpermettre que > to permit thatpréférer que > to prefer thatproposer que > to propose thatrecommander que > to recommendsouhaiter que > to wish thatsuggérer que > to suggest thattenir à ce que > to insist thatvouloir que > to want to *These verbs are followed by the more formal ne explétif, in which only ne is used in negations (without pas), as in: Évitez qu'il ne parte.Prevent him from leaving. Cite this Article Format mla apa chicago Your Citation ThoughtCo. "Does the French Verb 'Souhaiter' Need the Subjunctive?" ThoughtCo, Feb. 16, 2021, thoughtco.com/does-souhaiter-subjunctive-1369301. ThoughtCo. (2021, February 16). Does the French Verb 'Souhaiter' Need the Subjunctive? Retrieved from https://www.thoughtco.com/does-souhaiter-subjunctive-1369301 ThoughtCo. "Does the French Verb 'Souhaiter' Need the Subjunctive?" ThoughtCo. https://www.thoughtco.com/does-souhaiter-subjunctive-1369301 (accessed March 9, 2021). copy citation