Breakdown of Je veux que tu respectes cette consigne.
je
I
tu
you (informal singular)
ce
this (before a noun)
vouloir
to want
que
that (introducing a clause)
respecter
to respect
la consigne
the instruction
Questions & Answers about Je veux que tu respectes cette consigne.
Why is it que tu respectes instead of an infinitive like in the English 'I want you to respect'?
In French, you can't translate 'I want you to do something' word-for-word. When the person wanting and the person doing the action are different, you must use vouloir que followed by a new subject and a conjugated verb in the subjunctive. It's structurally like saying 'I want that you respect...'
Is respectes actually in the subjunctive here? It looks exactly like the normal present tense!
Yes, it is the subjunctive! For regular -er verbs, the present subjunctive forms for je, tu, il/elle, and ils/elles are identical to the regular present tense (indicative). Even though it doesn't look different, it is grammatically required here because it follows the expression of desire Je veux que.
How would the sentence change if I wanted to say 'I want to respect this instruction'?
If the person wanting and the person doing the action are the same, you don't use que or the subjunctive. You just use the infinitive directly: Je veux respecter cette consigne.
What exactly is a consigne?
A consigne is an instruction, guideline, or order given to someone. You will often see it used for school assignments (a prompt), safety protocols in the workplace, or rules to follow in public spaces or games.
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