Breakdown of Je cherche un locataire calme qui ne fasse jamais de bruit.
je
I
un
a / an (masculine)
qui
who
ne
not (used before the verb)
de
of / from / any (in negative sentences) / about (concerning)
faire
to do, to make
chercher
to look for
le bruit
the noise
jamais
never / ever
calme
calm
le locataire
the tenant
Questions & Answers about Je cherche un locataire calme qui ne fasse jamais de bruit.
Why is fasse in the subjunctive here instead of the indicative?
In this sentence, you are looking for a tenant who fits a specific description, but you don't know if this person actually exists yet. When a relative clause (starting with qui or que) describes something or someone whose existence is uncertain, sought-after, or merely desired, the verb in that clause takes the subjunctive.
Could I say qui ne fait jamais de bruit using the indicative? What would it change?
You could, but it changes the meaning entirely! If you use the indicative (fait), it implies you know this specific quiet person already exists, and you are trying to locate them physically (for example, knocking on doors to find their room). The subjunctive fasse shows you are describing an ideal candidate you hope to find.
Why is it de bruit instead of du bruit?
This is a great refresher on negation rules. In affirmative sentences, we use the partitive article: faire du bruit (to make [some] noise). However, in negative sentences, partitive articles (du, de la, des) and indefinite articles (un, une) change to a simple de or d'. The negative structure ne... jamais triggers this change.
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