25.1 Stem-Changing Verbs in the Present Subjunctive
The stem-changing verbs you learned in the present tense keep those same changes in the present subjunctive.
The subjunctive endings stay exactly the same, but the subjunctive uses two different stems:
- Use the ils/elles present-tense stem for je, tu, il/elle/on, and ils/elles.
- Use the nous present-tense stem for nous and vous.
For example, with acheter:
- ils achètent → achèt-
- nous achetons → achet-
This is the same basic pattern you already saw in the present tense: nous and vous keep the unchanged stem.
25.2 Seeing the Pattern
The same idea applies to all three stem-changing patterns you learned earlier.
Accent-Grave Verbs
acheter:
que j'achète → que nous achetions
Notice the changed è in je, tu, il/elle/on, and ils/elles, while nous and vous keep e.
Double-Consonant Verbs
appeler:
que j'appelle → que nous appelions
The doubled l appears in je, tu, il/elle/on, and ils/elles, while nous and vous keep a single l.
Y → I Verbs
payer:
que je paie → que nous payions
The y changes to i in je, tu, il/elle/on, and ils/elles, while nous and vous keep the y.
Key Pattern to Remember
As you can see, starting with the ils form correctly produces the conjugated forms for most pronouns, but for these groups the nous and vous forms do not take the stem change.
Practice Time!
Master these verb conjugations from Lesson 25