Breakdown of Que le ciel bénisse notre gloire !
notre
our (singular and plural forms: notre, nos)
le ciel
the sky
que
let / may (third-person command)
la gloire
the glory
bénir
to bless
Questions & Answers about Que le ciel bénisse notre gloire !
Why does this sentence start with Que instead of a subject, and why is it translated as 'May...'?
This is a classic third-person wish or command. In French, you can express a strong wish or indirect command by starting an independent clause with Que followed by the subjunctive mood. It translates to 'Let...' or 'May...' in English. Here, it expresses a heartfelt wish: 'May heaven bless...'.
Is bénisse in the subjunctive here? How is it formed?
Yes, bénisse is the present subjunctive of the regular -ir verb bénir (to bless). As a refresher for regular -ir verbs, you take the ils or elles form of the present indicative (ils bénissent), drop the -ent, and add the subjunctive endings. For le ciel (it), the ending is -e, giving us bénisse.
I usually translate le ciel as 'the sky'. How do I know it means 'heaven' here?
Is there an invisible verb before Que in sentences like this?
Essentially, yes! You can think of it as an abbreviation of a longer sentence like Je veux que le ciel bénisse... (I want heaven to bless...) or Je souhaite que... (I wish that...). Dropping the main verb and starting directly with Que is a stylized, traditional way to make a direct wish or command without needing to state 'I wish'.
Learn Que le ciel bénisse notre gloire 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