subject-verb concordance

Subject-Verb Agreement in French (L'accord du verbe avec le sujet)

The fundamental rule of French grammar is that the verb always agrees with its subject in person and number. This applies whether the subject is a noun (nom) or a pronoun (pronom).

• Les jeunes aiment les jeux vidéo. (Young people love video games.) — Plural subject, plural verb.
• Tu as vu l’émission ? — Oui, elle était passionnante. (Did you see the show? — Yes, it was fascinating.) — Agreement with the pronoun "elle".

1. The Relative Pronoun "qui"

When the subject is the relative pronoun qui, the verb does not agree with "qui" itself, but with its antecedent (the word "qui" refers to).

• C’est moi qui fais cette erreur. (It is I who am making this mistake.) — Agreement with "moi" (1st person singular).
• Vous qui êtes de Toulouse... (You who are from Toulouse...) — Agreement with "vous" (2nd person plural).

2. Inverted Subjects

Even if the subject is placed after the verb (common in questions or relative clauses), the agreement rule remains strictly the same.

• Où se trouvent les clés ? (Where are the keys?)
• C’est dans ce quartier qu’habitaient mes grands-parents. (It is in this neighborhood that my grandparents used to live.)

3. Multiple Subjects and the Hierarchy of Persons

When there are multiple subjects referring to different persons, the verb follows a specific hierarchy: 1st person > 2nd person > 3rd person.

• Toi et moi avons le même âge. (You and I are the same age.) — "You and I" = "We" (1st person plural).
• Hugo et moi allons au cinéma. (Hugo and I are going to the movies.)

4. Coordination with "ou" (or) and "ni... ni" (neither... nor)

With ou, the verb can be singular or plural depending on whether the subjects are mutually exclusive or if they add up.

• Le Président ou le Premier ministre accueillera l'invité. (The President or the Prime Minister will welcome the guest.) — Only one person will do it; singular.
• Le vert ou le bleu seraient jolis. (Green or blue would be pretty.) — Both are options; plural is common.

With ni... ni, the verb can also be singular or plural depending on the interpretation.

• Ni son père ni sa mère ne pourra / ne pourront venir. (Neither his father nor his mother will be able to come.)

5. Collective Nouns and Quantifiers

With a collective noun (foule, groupe, majorité), the verb is usually singular. However, it can be plural if the focus is on the individual members of the group.

• La foule se pressait. (The crowd was pressing forward.)
• Un groupe de touristes visitent le château. (A group of tourists are visiting the castle.) — Emphasis on the tourists.

Expressions like beaucoup de (many), peu de (few), la plupart de (most), or percentages followed by a plural noun require a plural verb.

• Beaucoup de gens prennent leurs vacances en août. (Many people take their vacations in August.)
• La plupart des magasins sont ouverts. (Most stores are open.)

6. Special Constructions: "Le seul qui", "Le premier qui"

In phrases like "le seul qui" or "le premier qui," the verb can agree either with the main subject or with the phrase "le seul," depending on what you want to emphasize.

• Vous êtes le seul qui puisse m’aider. (You are the only one who can help me.)