Breakdown of Il est possible que cette entreprise fasse faillite.
être
to be
ce
this (before a noun)
l'entreprise
the company (f)
faire
to do, to make
possible
possible
il
it (impersonal subject)
que
that (introducing a clause)
la faillite
the bankruptcy
Questions & Answers about Il est possible que cette entreprise fasse faillite.
Why do we use the subjunctive fasse here instead of the indicative fait?
The phrase il est possible que expresses a possibility or uncertainty, which triggers the subjunctive mood in French. Since the outcome is not a certainty, you must use the subjunctive form fasse instead of the normal present tense fait.
What verb is fasse and how do I conjugate it in the subjunctive?
Fasse is the subjunctive form of faire (to do/make). The verb faire has a completely irregular subjunctive stem: fass-. To this stem, you add the standard subjunctive endings, which makes it que je fasse, que tu fasses, qu'il/elle/on fasse, etc. Since cette entreprise is a singular feminine subject (like elle), we use fasse.
Why is the verb faire used to mean "goes" in "goes bankrupt"?
In French, "to go bankrupt" is expressed with the fixed phrase faire faillite (literally "to make bankruptcy"). French frequently uses faire in idiomatic expressions where English might use "to go," "to be," or "to get."
If the sentence started with "il est probable que" instead, would it still use the subjunctive?
Surprisingly, no! While il est possible que (it is possible that) triggers the subjunctive because it expresses doubt or uncertainty, il est probable que (it is probable/likely that) leans more toward a certainty. Therefore, it typically triggers the normal indicative mood: il est probable que cette entreprise fait faillite.
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