How to Identify the Subject in French

How to Identify the Subject in French The subject  is the  noun or pronoun in a clause or sentence that performs the action of the verb. To find the subject, ask who or what is performing the action of  the verb. It is crucial to recognize the subject because  French verbs are  conjugated according to the number, person and gender of the subject noun or the subject pronoun. David lave la voiture.  / David is washing the car. Who is washing the car? David is, so David is the subject. Subject Pronouns Subject pronouns replace the specific names of people or things: SINGULAR      1st person  Ã‚  Ã‚  je  Ã‚  I  Ã‚  Ã‚  2nd person  Ã‚  tu   you  Ã‚  Ã‚  3rd person  Ã‚  Ã‚  il   he, it / elle   she, it /  on   one PLURAL   Ã‚   1st person  Ã‚  Ã‚  nous  Ã‚  we  Ã‚  Ã‚  2nd person  Ã‚  vous   you  Ã‚  Ã‚  3rd person  Ã‚  Ã‚  ils   they (m) /  elles   they (f) The French subject pronoun  on is an indefinite pronoun that means one, we, you and they. Its often equivalent to the English  passive voice.      On ne devrait pas poser cette question.  Ã‚  Ã‚  One shouldnt ask that question. / You shouldnt ask that quesiton. Note that, unlike the English I, the French  je  is only capitalized when it begins a sentence; otherwise it is lowercase. Subjects in Sentences Whether sentences be statements, exclamations, questions, or commands, there is always a subject, either  stated or implied. Only in a command is the subject not explicitly stated; it is implied by the imperative conjugation of the verb. Sentences can be separated into a subject (un sujet)  and a predicate (un prà ©dicat). The subject is the person or thing performing the action, and the predicate is the rest of the sentence, which usually begins with the verb.Je suis professeur.  Suject:  Je. Prà ©dicat:  suis professeur. I am a teacherSubject: I. Predicate: am a professor. La jeune fille est mignonne  Sujet:  La jeune fille.  Prà ©dicat:  est mignonne.   The young girl is cute.Subject: The young girl. Predicate: is cute.