Question 1

This lesson is about expressing desire using the subjunctive. Why isn't the subjunctive used here?

Accepted Answer

The subjunctive is usually triggered by a verb of desire followed by que and a new subject (like Je veux qu'il parte). Here, instead of a verb like vouloir, we have a noun (envie) followed by the preposition de and an infinitive (partir). Since there is no que and no second subject, the subjunctive is not needed.

Question 2

The word envie is feminine, so why do we use mon instead of ma?

Accepted Answer

You are right that envie is a feminine noun. However, because it starts with a vowel, using ma would create a clumsy double-vowel sound (ma envie). To make it easier to pronounce, French uses the masculine form mon before any feminine noun that starts with a vowel or a mute H.

Question 3

Why is there a de before partir?

Accepted Answer

The noun envie is almost always paired with de when it is followed by a verb, stemming from the common expression avoir envie de (to feel like doing something). When you want to link the desire to an action, you use de plus the infinitive form of the action verb.

Question 4

Why does forte have an E at the end if we used the masculine mon earlier?

Accepted Answer

Forte is an adjective describing the subject of the sentence, envie. Even though we used the masculine possessive mon for pronunciation reasons, envie remains a feminine noun at its core. Therefore, the adjective must still take the feminine form forte.

Mon envie de partir est forte.

Breakdown of Mon envie de partir est forte.

Questions & Answers about Mon envie de partir est forte.

Learn Mon envie de partir est forte and more in French