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Il vaut mieux que le propriétaire ait le loyer demain.

Il vaut mieux que le propriétaire ait le loyer demain.
It is better that the landlord have the rent tomorrow.
From Lesson 185:Present subjunctive of to be and to have (être, avoir)·French

Questions & Answers about Il vaut mieux que le propriétaire ait le loyer demain.

Why is the verb ait instead of the usual a?
Ait is the present subjunctive form of avoir (to have) for il, elle, and on. The expression Il vaut mieux que (It is better that) expresses a preference or opinion, which means the following verb must be in the subjunctive mood rather than the standard present tense.
Where does the word vaut come from in Il vaut mieux?
It is the third-person singular form of the irregular verb valoir, which means "to be worth." Literally, Il vaut mieux translates to "It is worth better." This is the standard French idiom for saying "It is better."
Could I just say C'est mieux que instead of Il vaut mieux que?
Yes, C'est mieux que is also correct and is very common in everyday spoken French. Just like Il vaut mieux que, it expresses an opinion and therefore also requires the subjunctive for the verb that follows.
How do I pronounce ait?
It is pronounced exactly like the word est (is). It makes a short "eh" sound. Even though it is a brand new verb form for you to learn, the pronunciation is already completely familiar.
Does propriétaire only mean "landlord"?
Propriétaire literally translates to "owner." Because this sentence specifically mentions paying le loyer (the rent), the "owner" of the property is naturally understood in English to be the "landlord."

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