Breakdown of Je veux que tu lises le dialogue.
je
I
tu
you (informal singular)
vouloir
to want
lire
to read
que
that (introducing a clause)
le dialogue
the dialogue
Questions & Answers about Je veux que tu lises le dialogue.
Why doesn't French use the infinitive here, like the English 'I want you to read'?
When expressing what you want someone else to do, French doesn't use the infinitive. Instead of saying 'I want you to read,' French requires a structure that translates literally as 'I want that you read.' This is why we use que followed by a new subject and a conjugated verb.
Why is the verb spelled lises instead of the regular present tense lis?
lises is the subjunctive form of the verb lire (to read). Expressions of will, desire, or wanting, like Je veux que (I want that), trigger the subjunctive mood for the verb that follows them.
How is the subjunctive form lises constructed?
To form the subjunctive for most verbs, take the present tense ils form and drop the -ent. For lire, the ils form is lisent, giving us the root lis-. Then, add the subjunctive ending for tu, which is -es, resulting in tu lises.
Can I say Je te veux lire le dialogue instead?
No, that won't work! A direct word-for-word translation of 'I want you to read' using object pronouns doesn't exist in French. If you say Je te veux lire, a French speaker will understand 'I want to read to you.' You must use the que + subjunctive structure when the person wanting and the person doing the action are different.
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