Breakdown of Le réalisateur veut que les mâles soient moins provocants.
être
to be
moins
less / to (time)
vouloir
to want
le
him, it (masculine direct object pronoun)
les
them (direct object pronoun)
que
that (introducing a clause)
le réalisateur
the director (m)
le mâle
the male
provocant
provocative
Questions & Answers about Le réalisateur veut que les mâles soient moins provocants.
Why is provocants spelled with a "c" instead of "qu" like the verb provoquer?
In this sentence, provocants is a verbal adjective describing a state or quality. For French verbs ending in "-quer" like provoquer, the present participle keeps the "qu" spelling (e.g., en provoquant), but the verbal adjective changes the spelling to a "c" (provocant).
Why does provocants have an "s" at the end?
Why does this sentence use soient instead of sont?
The phrase veut que expresses a wish or desire. This triggers the subjunctive mood in the following clause, so we must use soient (the subjunctive form of être) rather than the indicative sont.
Could I use directeur instead of réalisateur for the English word "director"?
Not in this artistic context. While both translate to "director", réalisateur refers specifically to a film director. A directeur is usually an administrative manager, like the director of a school, company, or agency.
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