Breakdown of Je doute que ce projet soit rentable.
je
I
être
to be
ce
this (before a noun)
le projet
the project
que
that (introducing a clause)
douter
to doubt
rentable
profitable
Questions & Answers about Je doute que ce projet soit rentable.
Why do we use soit here instead of est?
Soit is the subjunctive form of être (to be). We use the subjunctive here because the phrase Je doute que expresses uncertainty. In French, expressing doubt about whether an action or state is true requires the subjunctive mood in the clause that follows.
Would I still use the subjunctive if the sentence started with Je pense que?
No. Verbs like penser (to think) and croire (to believe) express a stated opinion when used in the affirmative. You would use the normal indicative mood: Je pense que ce projet est rentable. However, if you make them negative, like Je ne pense pas que, they express doubt and then they do trigger the subjunctive.
Is the word rentable related to the English word for paying rent?
How would I say that I doubt that I MYSELF am profitable? Do I still use que?
When the subject of both parts of the sentence is the same, French prefers to use de plus the infinitive instead of que plus the subjunctive. You would say Je doute d'être rentable. Since our example sentence has two different subjects, je and ce projet, we must use que and the subjunctive.
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