Verbes de Volonté et de Désir (Will and Desire)

What You'll LearnIdentify French verbs of wanting and desire that require a special verb form called the subjunctive.Correctly form the present subjunctive for common verbs.Build sentences to express wishes and demands.Know when to use the subjunctive and when to use the infinitive (the basic 'to' form of a verb).Imagine you're planning a party for your friend 🥳. You need to tell your friends what you want them to do. In French, you might say: "Je veux que tu apportes de la musique 🎶" (I want you to bring music) [zhuh vuh kuh tew ah-PORT duh lah mew-ZEEK] or "Maman exige que la maison soit propre avant la fête ✨" (Mom demands that the house be clean before the party) [mah-MAHN eg-ZEEZH kuh lah meh-ZOHN swah PRO-pruh ah-VAHN lah FET]. These sentences use special 'wanting' verbs and a ver...

French PhraseWhat It MeansExample Sentencevouloir que (to want that) [voo-LWAR kuh]Used to express a want or a desire.Je veux que tu viennes à ma fête. (I want you to come to my party.) [zhuh vuh kuh tew vee-YEN ah mah FET]désirer que (to desire that) [day-zee-RAY kuh]Used to express a strong wish, a bit more formal than 'vouloir'.Elle désire que nous soyons heureux. (She desires that we be happy.) [el day-ZEER kuh noo swah-YOHN uh-RUH]souhaiter que (to wish that) [sweh-TAY kuh]Used to express a hope or a wish.Je souhaite que tu réussisses ton examen. (I wish that you pass your exam.) [zhuh SWET kuh tew ray-ew-SEES tohn eg-zah-MAHN]exiger que (to demand that) [eg-zee-ZHAY kuh]Used to express a strong demand or an order.Le professeur exige que nous rendions le devoir demain. (The teacher de...

1. The Basic Structure with the SubjunctiveRule: Verbs of wanting and desire are followed by the word que (that) [kuh] and a verb in the subjunctive mood when the person doing the 'wanting' (Subject 1) is different from the person doing the action (Subject 2).Pattern: Subject 1 + 'Wanting' Verb + que (that) [kuh] + Subject 2 + Verb (in the present subjunctive)Example: Mes parents (My parents) [may pah-RAHN] (Subject 1) veulent que je (I) [zhuh] (Subject 2) fasse mes devoirs. (My parents want me to do my homework.)2. Using the Infinitive with One SubjectRule: If the person doing the 'wanting' is the same person who will do the action, you use the infinitive (the basic 'to ___' form of the verb) and you do not use 'que'.Pattern: Subject 1 + 'Wanting' Verb + Verb in the InfinitiveExample: Je...