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Si j'étais le propriétaire, j'exigerais que tu sois respectueux.

Si j'étais le propriétaire, j'exigerais que tu sois respectueux.
If I were the landlord, I would demand that you be respectful.
From Lesson 185:Present subjunctive of to be and to have (être, avoir)·French

Questions & Answers about Si j'étais le propriétaire, j'exigerais que tu sois respectueux.

Why is the verb sois used instead of es after que tu?
sois is the present subjunctive form of être (to be) for tu. We must use the subjunctive here because the previous verb, j'exigerais (I would demand), expresses a strong will or order. In French, verbs of demanding, wishing, or wanting always trigger the subjunctive in the que clause that follows them.
Why do we use the imparfait (étais) and the conditionnel (exigerais) in the first part of the sentence?
This uses a classic "si clause" (if-then statement) for a hypothetical situation. When you talk about something contrary to fact in the present ("If I were..."), French pairs si + imparfait (si j'étais) with the conditional tense in the main clause (j'exigerais). It works just like English: "If I were... I would demand...".
Does le propriétaire always mean "the landlord"?
Not always! un propriétaire is simply an "owner" of anything (a car, a dog, a business). However, when talking about housing or real estate, it is the standard French word for "landlord".
What if the person being spoken to is a woman? Does respectueux change?
Yes, it does. respectueux is the masculine singular form. If you are demanding that a woman be respectful, the adjective must agree with her, so it becomes the feminine respectueuse.

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