French - Subjunctive for doubt and possibility (douter que, il est possible que)

We use the subjunctive when a statement hinges on doubt or mere possibility, showing that an action is not a guaranteed fact.

Verbs expressing doubt, like douter, trigger the subjunctive in the clause that follows que (or qu' before a vowel).

I doubt that this project is profitable.

We use the subjunctive form of être (soit) because the project's profitability is in question.

Impersonal expressions stating a possibility rather than a certainty also require the subjunctive.

It is possible that this investment is bad.

Evaluating startups often involves irregular subjunctive stems. For pouvoir (to be able to), the subjunctive stem is puiss-:

I doubt that the investors can convince the clients.

Regular "-ir" verbs like investir use their present tense ils stem (investiss-):

It is possible that they invest in this project.

For faire (to do/make), the irregular subjunctive stem is fass-:

We doubt that the competitors make a profit.

It is possible that this company goes bankrupt.

Finally, avoir (to have) is completely irregular. For the ils/elles form, the subjunctive is aient:

I doubt that they have the skills.

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