Breakdown of Pensez-vous que nous puissions éviter cet obstacle ?
nous
we / us (object pronoun)
vous
you (plural/formal)
ce
this (before a noun)
pouvoir
to be able to / can
penser
to think
que
that (introducing a clause)
éviter
to avoid
l'obstacle
the obstacle (m)
Questions & Answers about Pensez-vous que nous puissions éviter cet obstacle ?
Why is puissions in the subjunctive here instead of the indicative pouvons?
The verb penser is an opinion verb. When used in a positive statement like Je pense que, it takes the indicative because you are stating a certainty in your own mind. However, when used in a question like Pensez-vous que or a negative statement like Je ne pense pas que, it introduces doubt about the outcome, which triggers the subjunctive.
Could I use the indicative pouvons here if I am pretty sure we can avoid the obstacle?
Yes, you can. If you ask the question but strongly expect the answer to be yes, or if you want to emphasize the reality of the action rather than the doubt, you can use the indicative: Pensez-vous que nous pouvons.... The subjunctive puissions is used when you are genuinely unsure and treating the outcome as a mere possibility.
How do we form the subjunctive of pouvoir for nous? Is it irregular?
Yes, pouvoir is highly irregular in the subjunctive. The stem changes completely to puiss-. For nous, you then add the standard imperfect-style ending -ions, giving you puissions.
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