Question 1

Why does this command start with Qu'ils instead of just a verb?

Accepted Answer

French doesn't have a third-person imperative form to directly say "let them" or "may they" do something. Instead, you create a third-person command by using Que followed by a subject and the subjunctive mood. You can think of it as a shortened version of an unspoken order, like "I demand that they..." (J'exige qu'ils...).

Question 2

Why does the subjunctive verb exécutent look exactly like the normal present tense here?

Accepted Answer

For regular -er verbs like exécuter, the third-person plural (ils/elles) is spelled exactly the same in both the present indicative and the present subjunctive. The commanding structure Qu'ils... at the beginning of the sentence is your primary clue that this is grammatically the subjunctive.

Question 3

Does exécuter sound as violent as "to execute" does in English?

Accepted Answer

Not necessarily. While exécuter can mean to put someone to death, it is just as commonly used in everyday French to mean "to carry out," "to perform," or "to fulfill." When paired with ma volonté (my will) or un ordre (an order), it simply means to carry out the instruction.

Question 4

Is there a liaison between ils and exécutent?

Accepted Answer

Yes, there is a mandatory liaison here. Because exécutent starts with a vowel, the final s of ils is pronounced as a "z" sound connecting the two words (Qu'ilszexécutent).

Qu'ils exécutent ma volonté !

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