The indicative mood and the subjunctive mood are used to express different realities in French. The indicative is used to describe real facts, while the subjunctive is used to express actions or states that are uncertain, desired, or hypothetical.
Indicative Mood
The indicative mood is used to:
- Express real and concrete facts.
- Narrate events or describe situations that are happening, have happened, or will happen.
- Examples:
- Il va au cinéma tous les samedis. (He goes to the cinema every Saturday.) (present)
- Elle a terminé ses devoirs. (She has finished her homework.) (past perfect)
- Nous irons en France l'année prochaine. (We will go to France next year.) (future simple)
Subjunctive Mood
The subjunctive mood is used to:
- Express doubt, uncertainty, emotion, obligation, or a wish.
- Introduce an action or state considered uncertain or not realized at the moment of speaking.
- Examples:
- Il faut que tu sois à l'heure. (You must be on time.) (present subjunctive)
- Je doute qu'elle ait fini son travail. (I doubt that she has finished her work.) (past subjunctive)
- Il est possible que nous partions demain. (It is possible that we leave tomorrow.) (present subjunctive)