Douter and its reflexive counterpart se douter are near opposites. Because of this, they trigger different moods.
Douter que + Subjunctive
Douter que means "to doubt that." Because it expresses uncertainty, it takes the subjunctive.
| I doubt that this painting is a masterpiece. | Je doute que ce tableau soit un chef-d'œuvre. |
| The expert doubts that the forger has the best technique. | L'expert doute que le faussaire ait la meilleure technique. |
Se douter que + Indicative
Se douter que means "to suspect that" or "to have a strong feeling that." Since it expresses a strong belief that something is a fact, it takes the standard indicative mood.
| We suspect that the forger comes from Paris. | On se doute que le faussaire vient de Paris. |
| The museum suspects that the provenance is false. | Le musée se doute que la provenance est fausse. |
Comparing the Two
Notice the mood difference when investigating a potential forgery:
| They doubt that the provenance is authentic, so they ask for an appraisal. | Ils doutent que la provenance soit authentique, alors ils demandent une expertise. |
| She suspected that the appraisal was completely false. | Elle se doutait que l'expertise était tout à fait fausse. |
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