Beyond the basic si of conditional sentences, French has a rich inventory of conjunctions for expressing contingency — the various flavours of if, provided that, unless, supposing, in case, whatever happens. Each marker has its own mood requirement, register, and nuance, and learning them is one of the major B2 jumps in expressiveness. The pattern is largely (but not entirely) predictable: most contingency markers take the subjunctive, two notable ones take the conditional, and almost all of them have an infinitival counterpart for use when the subjects match.
This page covers the full set in the order you are most likely to encounter them.
À condition que / à condition de — provided that
The most direct equivalent of English provided that. With different subjects, use à condition que + subjunctive. With the same subject, use à condition de + infinitive — much more idiomatic.
Je viendrai à condition qu'il fasse beau.
I'll come provided the weather is good.
Tu peux sortir à condition que tu rentres avant minuit.
You can go out provided you come back before midnight.
J'accepte à condition de pouvoir partir tôt.
I'll accept provided I can leave early. (same subject)
On peut signer ce contrat à condition d'avoir l'accord du chef.
We can sign this contract provided we have the boss's approval.
The same-subject infinitive (à condition de + inf) is strongly preferred over the heavier que-clause when both halves share a subject. Producing the que version with same subjects sounds non-native: je viendrai à condition que je sois libre should be je viendrai à condition d'être libre.
Pourvu que — provided that / let's hope
Pourvu que has a split personality. In a clearly subordinate context, it functions like à condition que — provided that. In an exclamatory or independent clause, it expresses a hopeful wish — let's hope, I hope. Both uses take the subjunctive.
Subordinate use — provided that
Tout ira bien pourvu qu'on parte à l'heure.
Everything will be fine provided we leave on time.
Pourvu que tu me préviennes à l'avance, je peux m'arranger.
As long as you let me know in advance, I can manage.
Exclamatory use — let's hope
Pourvu qu'il fasse beau pour le mariage !
Let's hope the weather's nice for the wedding!
Pourvu qu'elle ne soit pas en retard, on a un train à prendre.
Hopefully she's not late — we've got a train to catch.
The exclamatory pourvu que is one of the most distinctively French ways of expressing hope. English has no single-word equivalent — let's hope, hopefully, I hope, fingers crossed are the rough translations. Note that the verb stays in the subjunctive even though there is no main clause: pourvu que alone is enough to license the mood.
À moins que / à moins de — unless
À moins que + subjunctive expresses unless. With same subjects, the infinitival à moins de + infinitive is the natural choice. À moins que often (but not obligatorily) takes the ne explétif — a stylistic ne that does not negate the clause.
Je viendrai à moins qu'il ne pleuve.
I'll come unless it rains. (with ne explétif)
Je viendrai à moins qu'il pleuve.
I'll come unless it rains. (without ne explétif — increasingly common)
On y arrivera à temps, à moins de prendre la route nationale.
We'll get there in time, unless we take the national road. (same subject)
À moins de partir maintenant, on va rater le début du film.
Unless we leave now, we'll miss the beginning of the film.
The ne explétif after à moins que is a feature of careful or formal style. In conversation, you'll hear both à moins qu'il pleuve and à moins qu'il ne pleuve. The Académie française prefers the ne; everyday usage tolerates either. The ne is not a negation — à moins qu'il ne pleuve still means unless it rains, not unless it doesn't rain.
Supposé que / à supposer que / en supposant que — supposing
Three near-synonyms, all meaning supposing that, all taking the subjunctive. They differ slightly in register and frequency:
- Supposé que — formal, often legal or argumentative.
- À supposer que — neutral, the most common in conversation.
- En supposant que — slightly more written, often appears in essays.
À supposer qu'il vienne demain, qu'est-ce que tu lui dirais ?
Supposing he comes tomorrow, what would you say to him?
En supposant que tu aies raison, comment expliques-tu son silence ?
Supposing you're right, how do you explain his silence?
Supposé que les négociations échouent, le gouvernement devrait imposer une solution.
Supposing the negotiations fail, the government would have to impose a solution. (formal)
These markers introduce a hypothetical for argument's sake — they invite the listener into a thought experiment. The main clause that follows often uses the conditionnel (because the hypothetical is by nature unreal), but the indicative is also possible if the supposition is genuinely live.
Pour peu que — provided / if even slightly
Pour peu que + subjunctive expresses provided that, if even a little. It implies that a small amount of the condition is enough to trigger the consequence — useful when you want to say the slightest amount of X is enough.
Pour peu qu'il pleuve, on va annuler le pique-nique.
If it rains even a little, we'll cancel the picnic.
Pour peu que tu fasses un effort, tu verras le résultat.
Provided you make an effort — even a small one — you'll see the result.
Pour peu qu'il soit fatigué, il s'endort en moins de cinq minutes.
As soon as he's even slightly tired, he falls asleep in under five minutes.
The nuance is that the threshold is low — a small amount of the condition is enough. Pour peu que contrasts with à condition que, which is neutral about how much of the condition is needed.
Soit que ... soit que — whether ... or
Soit que ... soit que + subjunctive in both halves expresses whether ... or — a disjunctive contingency where the speaker doesn't commit to which of the two conditions is true.
Soit qu'il vienne, soit qu'il reste, on s'organisera.
Whether he comes or stays, we'll figure things out.
Soit qu'elle ait oublié, soit qu'elle ait changé d'avis, elle ne nous a pas appelés.
Whether she forgot or whether she changed her mind, she didn't call us.
Both halves take the subjunctive because both are unverified contingencies. This construction is slightly more elevated than the alternative qu'il vienne ou qu'il reste, which has the same meaning with a single que-clause and an ou.
Qu'il pleuve ou qu'il fasse beau, on partira à six heures.
Whether it rains or it's sunny, we'll leave at six.
The bare qu'il vienne ou qu'il reste / qu'il pleuve ou qu'il fasse beau form is more conversational; soit que ... soit que is more written.
Au cas où + conditionnel — in case
Au cas où is the unique exception in this family: it takes the conditionnel, not the subjunctive. The expression means in case, just in case, projecting a hypothetical scenario the speaker wants to be prepared for.
Prends ton parapluie au cas où il pleuvrait.
Take your umbrella in case it rains.
Je te laisse mon numéro au cas où tu aurais besoin de me joindre.
I'll leave you my number in case you need to reach me.
Au cas où elle arriverait avant nous, on lui dira de patienter.
In case she arrives before us, we'll tell her to wait.
The conditionnel here is the marker of contingent unreality — the event might happen, but is presented as hypothetical. English uses simple present (in case it rains); French uses the conditional. This mismatch is a common source of confusion, but the rule is mechanical: au cas où = conditional, every time.
The conditionnel passé can also follow au cas où for an anterior hypothetical:
Au cas où il aurait déjà mangé, on lui prendra juste un dessert.
In case he's already eaten, we'll just get him a dessert.
For more on this construction, see imagination-au-cas-ou.
Universal contingency: où que, qui que, quoi que + subjunctive
A separate but related family: the universal contingency markers, which combine a question word with que + subjunctive to mean wherever, whoever, whatever.
Où que — wherever
Où qu'il soit, on le retrouvera.
Wherever he is, we'll find him.
Où que tu ailles, je te suivrai.
Wherever you go, I'll follow you.
Qui que — whoever
Qui que tu sois, tu dois respecter les règles ici.
Whoever you are, you have to respect the rules here.
Qui que ce soit qui ait fait ça, je veux le savoir.
Whoever did this, I want to know.
Quoi que — whatever
Quoi que tu fasses, fais-le bien.
Whatever you do, do it well.
Quoi qu'elle dise, ne la crois pas.
Whatever she says, don't believe her.
Spelling alert: quoi que vs quoique
A frequent trap: quoi que (two words) means whatever; quoique (one word) means although. Both take the subjunctive, but they translate completely differently.
Quoi qu'il dise, je ne change pas d'avis.
Whatever he says, I'm not changing my mind.
Quoiqu'il soit fatigué, il continue à travailler.
Although he's tired, he keeps working.
Always check whether you mean whatever (two words) or although (one word) — they are different conjunctions.
Quel que — whatever / whichever
A close cousin: quel que + subjunctive of être + noun. Used when the contingency concerns a noun's identity or value.
Quelle que soit la décision, je la respecterai.
Whatever the decision is, I'll respect it.
Quels que soient les obstacles, on continuera.
Whatever the obstacles are, we'll keep going.
Note that quel agrees with the noun: quelle (f.sg.), quels (m.pl.), quelles (f.pl.). The verb is always être in the subjunctive.
Si tant est que — if it is the case that
A formal contingency marker meaning if it is even the case that, assuming for the sake of argument that. Takes the subjunctive.
Il viendra peut-être, si tant est qu'il en ait envie.
He might come, if he even feels like it. (formal)
This is a register-marker; you'll see it in essays and in cautious argumentative prose, rarely in casual conversation.
A summary table
| Conjunction | Mood | Meaning | Same-subject infinitive |
|---|---|---|---|
| à condition que | Subjunctive | provided that | à condition de
|
| pourvu que | Subjunctive | provided that / let's hope | — |
| à moins que | Subjunctive (often + ne explétif) | unless | à moins de
|
| à supposer que | Subjunctive | supposing | — |
| pour peu que | Subjunctive | provided that, if even slightly | — |
| soit que ... soit que | Subjunctive (both halves) | whether ... or | — |
| au cas où | Conditionnel | in case | — |
| où que / qui que / quoi que / quel que | Subjunctive | wherever / whoever / whatever | — |
| si tant est que | Subjunctive | if it is even the case that (formal) | — |
The single most useful generalisation: almost everything in this family is subjunctive, except au cas où, which is conditional. Memorise the exception and the default falls into place.
Common Mistakes
The errors below are the patterns that B2 learners most frequently produce.
❌ Au cas où il pleut.
Incorrect — *au cas où* requires the conditionnel, not the present indicative.
✅ Au cas où il pleuvrait.
In case it rains.
The English mapping (in case it rains) leads many learners straight to the present. The French rule is mechanical: au cas où = conditionnel.
❌ Je viendrai à condition que je sois libre.
Grammatically possible but unidiomatic — same-subject context demands the infinitive.
✅ Je viendrai à condition d'être libre.
I'll come provided I'm free.
Same-subject contingency clauses use à condition de + inf and à moins de + inf almost always. The que-version with same subjects sounds heavy and non-native.
❌ À moins qu'il vient.
Incorrect — *à moins que* requires the subjunctive.
✅ À moins qu'il (ne) vienne.
Unless he comes.
The subjunctive is mandatory after à moins que. The ne explétif is optional but frequent in formal style.
❌ Quoique tu fasses, sois honnête.
Incorrect — 'whatever' is *quoi que* (two words); *quoique* (one word) means 'although'.
✅ Quoi que tu fasses, sois honnête.
Whatever you do, be honest.
The two-word vs one-word distinction is a spelling trap. Two words = whatever; one word = although. Mood is subjunctive in both cases, but the meaning is completely different.
❌ Pourvu qu'il viendra.
Incorrect — *pourvu que* requires the subjunctive, not the futur.
✅ Pourvu qu'il vienne.
Let's hope he comes.
Even when the meaning is clearly future, the que-clause stays in the subjunctive present. The future is wrong because the construction itself is a subjunctive trigger.
❌ Quel que soit le décision.
Incorrect — *quel que* must agree with the noun's gender.
✅ Quelle que soit la décision.
Whatever the decision is.
Quel is an adjectival form and agrees with the noun: quelle (f.sg.), quels (m.pl.), quelles (f.pl.). The verb être in the subjunctive (soit, soient) follows.
Key Takeaways
- Most contingency markers take the subjunctive: à condition que, pourvu que, à moins que, à supposer que, pour peu que, soit que ... soit que, où que, qui que, quoi que, quel que, si tant est que.
- The single exception is au cas où, which takes the conditionnel.
- For same-subject contexts, prefer the infinitival forms: à condition de + inf, à moins de + inf. Producing the heavy que-clause when subjects match sounds non-native.
- Watch the spelling traps: quoi que (two words = whatever) vs quoique (one word = although); quel que must agree in gender and number with its noun.
- The ne explétif after à moins que is optional but stylistically marked. It does not negate the clause.
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Start learning French→Related Topics
- Les Phrases Conditionnelles: les Trois TypesB1 — The three patterns of French conditional sentences — real, hypothetical, and counterfactual past — with the tense pairings, the iron rule that 'si' never takes the conditionnel, and the high-frequency English transfer errors learners must unlearn.
- Les Trois Types de Si: drillingB1 — The full architecture of French conditional sentences: real, hypothetical, and counterfactual — with the strict tense pairings that make them work.
- Au Cas Où + Conditionnel: Imagining Possibilities in FrenchB1 — The construction au cas où triggers the conditional, not the subjunctive — a trap for English speakers and Romance-language learners alike. Plus the family of imagination phrases (on dirait, je dirais, il vaudrait mieux) that all use the conditionnel as a softener.
- Le Subjonctif: Overview of the French SubjunctiveB1 — The French subjunctive is alive and well — used in casual conversation, not just literary prose. The mood marks uncertainty, emotion, necessity, and desire, and learners need it from B1 onward to sound like an adult speaker.
- Subjunctive after Conditional Conjunctions: à condition que, à moins que, pourvu queB1 — When a clause sets a condition, an exception, or a hypothetical premise — provided that, unless, supposing that — French uses the subjunctive. These conjunctions diverge sharply from the everyday si, which keeps the indicative.