One rule, no exceptions. The hard part is knowing the subjunctive forms.
Il faut que is one of the most common phrases in French, and one of the easiest subjunctive triggers to spot: il faut que always takes the subjunctive. You say il faut que je fasse, never il faut que je fais.
Here is the rule, the irregular forms learners get wrong, when il faut takes an infinitive instead, and what changes with il fallait and il faudrait.
Il faut que expresses a necessity for a specific person, and necessity is one of the meanings that call for the subjunctive. There is no exception: whoever the subject is, the verb after que is in the subjunctive.
The general choice between the two moods is explained on the page subjunctive or indicative.
For most verbs, the subjunctive sounds like the present tense. A handful of very common verbs change completely, and those are where the mistakes happen.
| Verb | Present (wrong here) | Subjunctive (right) |
|---|---|---|
| faire | il faut que je fais | il faut que je fasse |
| aller | il faut que je vais | il faut que j'aille |
| être | il faut que nous sommes | il faut que nous soyons |
| avoir | il faut que tu as | il faut que tu aies |
| pouvoir | il faut que tu peux | il faut que tu puisses |
| savoir | il faut que je sais | il faut que je sache |
Some subjunctive forms sound exactly like the indicative, so only spelling shows the difference. Il faut qu'il voie, not voit. Il faut qu'on croie, not croit. Il faut que tu ries, not ris. The final letters are silent, which is why they get dropped; the page on French silent letters explains the pattern.
When the necessity is general, or when the person is obvious, French drops que and uses an infinitive: il faut partir, il faut réserver à l'avance. No subjunctive is needed.
With a pronoun, the infinitive keeps working: il me faut partir is possible, though il faut que je parte is far more common in speech.
Changing the tense of falloir does not change the rule: the verb after que stays in the subjunctive. In everyday French, the present subjunctive is used whatever the tense of falloir.
| Structure | Use | Example |
|---|---|---|
| il faut que + subjunctive | something someone must do | Il faut que tu partes. |
| il faudrait que + subjunctive | softer advice | Il faudrait que tu dormes plus. |
| il fallait que + subjunctive | a past necessity | Il fallait que je parte. |
| il ne faut pas que + subjunctive | something someone must not do | Il ne faut pas que tu partes. |
| il faut + infinitive | a general necessity | Il faut partir. |
Il faudrait is the conditional of falloir; the page on future or conditional shows how the conditional is built.
Il ne faut pas que forbids something: il ne faut pas que tu partes means you must not leave. To say that something is not necessary, French uses another phrase: tu n'as pas besoin de partir, or ce n'est pas la peine de partir.
See il faut que, write a subjunctive. Learn the six irregular forms in the table, and watch the silent endings of voie and croie. Apostrophe· makes you write sentences like these in dictation and explains the rule each time you miss one.
Does il faut que always take the subjunctive?
Yes, always. The verb after il faut que is in the subjunctive whatever the subject: il faut que je parte, il faut qu'ils viennent.
Is it il faut que + subjonctif or indicatif?
Subjonctif. Il faut que je fasse, not il faut que je fais. The indicative is never used after il faut que.
What tense follows il faudrait que?
The present subjunctive in everyday French: il faudrait que tu viennes. The imperfect subjunctive exists but belongs to formal writing.
When do I use il faut + infinitive?
When the necessity is general or the person is obvious: il faut partir. As soon as you name who must do it, switch to il faut que + subjunctive.
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