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Nous annulons le contrat à condition que vous respectiez le préavis.

Nous annulons le contrat à condition que vous respectiez le préavis.
We cancel the contract provided that you respect the notice period.
From Lesson 222:Provided that (à condition que)·French

Questions & Answers about Nous annulons le contrat à condition que vous respectiez le préavis.

Why is the subjunctive used in this sentence?
The phrase à condition que (provided that) always requires the subjunctive mood. It sets up a condition that must be met for the main action to happen, which introduces the kind of uncertainty that triggers the subjunctive in French.
Wait, isn't respectiez the imperfect tense?
It looks exactly like it! For regular -er verbs like respecter, the vous and nous forms of the present subjunctive are completely identical to their imperfect tense forms. You only know it is the subjunctive here because it directly follows à condition que.
Could I just use si (if) to say this?
Yes, you could say si vous respectez le préavis (if you respect the notice period). However, notice that if you use si, you must use the regular present tense (respectez). À condition que is slightly stronger, like saying strictly on the condition that.
What exactly is a préavis?
Le préavis translates to the notice period or advance notice. You will see this word constantly in French administrative, business, and housing contexts, such as the required wait time after resigning from a job or ending an apartment lease.

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