In English, you can use a "that" clause as the subject of a sentence (for example, "That he is late doesn't surprise me").
In French, you can do the same thing by starting your sentence with que (or qu' before a vowel). When you do this, the verb inside the subject clause must be in the subjunctive.
| That the dog is fearful shows his trauma. | Que le chien soit craintif montre son traumatisme. |
Notice how the clause itself (Que le chien soit craintif) acts as the subject for the main verb (montre). Because a clause is treated as a single abstract concept, the main verb is always conjugated in the third-person singular.
Use qu' if the following word starts with a vowel:
| That he remains fearful is normal before taming him. | Qu'il reste craintif est normal avant de l'apprivoiser. |
This structure is extremely common when stating facts, sharing opinions, or expressing emotions about entire situations, such as the realities of an animal shelter:
| That we adopt this cat gives him a new home. | Que nous adoptions ce chat lui donne un nouveau foyer. |
| That a stray dog has a microchip helps to find its home. | Qu'un chien errant ait une puce aide à trouver son foyer. |
| That the abandonment of dogs is so common is really sad. | Que l'abandon des chiens soit si commun est vraiment triste. |
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