ELONIO
Log inSign up

Je suis content que la marée soit basse.

Je suis content que la marée soit basse.
I am happy that the tide is low.
From Lesson 274:Agreement of the adverb tout (toute, toutes)·French

Breakdown of Je suis content que la marée soit basse.

je
I
être
to be
content
happy
que
that (introducing a clause)
bas
low
la marée
the tide

Questions & Answers about Je suis content que la marée soit basse.

Why is the verb soit used here instead of est?
Because the sentence starts with Je suis content que (I am happy that). In French, expressing an emotion or feeling about someone or something else requires the verb in the following clause to be in the subjunctive mood. Soit is the subjunctive form of être (to be).
How do I conjugate être in the subjunctive?
Être is entirely irregular in the subjunctive. The forms are: que je sois, que tu sois, qu'il/elle soit, que nous soyons, que vous soyez, and qu'ils/elles soient. Since la marée (the tide) is singular, it is equivalent to elle, so we use soit.
Why is the adjective spelled basse instead of bas?
Adjectives must agree in gender and number with the noun they describe. Because la marée is a feminine singular noun, the masculine adjective bas (low) doubles its final consonant and adds an -e to become the feminine form basse.
Could I use de instead of que here, like Je suis content d'être...?
Not in this sentence. You only use de plus an infinitive verb when the subject of both actions is the same person, like Je suis content d'être ici (I am happy to be here). Because there are two different subjects here (Je and la marée), you must use que plus the subjunctive.

Learn Je suis content que la marée soit basse and more in French

All course content and exercises are completely free — no paywalls, no trial periods, no signup needed.

  • ✓ Practice with interactive exercises
  • ✓ Track your progress with spaced repetition
  • ✓Learn at your own pace — completely free
Start learning French →