Breakdown of Je veux que tu saches utiliser ce sifflet.
je
I
tu
you (informal singular)
ce
this (before a noun)
vouloir
to want
utiliser
to use
savoir
to know (a fact), to know how to
que
that (introducing a clause)
le sifflet
the whistle
Questions & Answers about Je veux que tu saches utiliser ce sifflet.
Why is the subjunctive used here for the verb savoir?
The phrase Je veux que expresses a desire or a wish. In French, verbs that express a wish, want, or demand always require the subjunctive mood in the following clause. That is why we use saches instead of the regular present tense sais.
How is the subjunctive form saches created?
The verb savoir is one of a few common verbs with a completely irregular subjunctive stem. Instead of taking the stem from the ils present tense form like most verbs do, it uses the special stem sach-. You just add the regular subjunctive endings to it, making it que tu saches.
The English translation says 'know how to use', but there is no French word for 'how' here. Why?
In French, when you want to say you know how to do a skill or action, you just use the verb savoir followed directly by an infinitive verb. You do not add comment for 'how'. So, savoir utiliser perfectly translates to 'to know how to use'.
Why do we use ce for 'this' instead of cet or cette?
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