Breakdown of Pourvu que le tirage ait lieu aujourd'hui !
aujourd'hui
today
avoir lieu
to take place
pourvu que
provided that / let's hope that (expressing a wish)
le tirage
the draw
Questions & Answers about Pourvu que le tirage ait lieu aujourd'hui !
Doesn't pourvu que normally mean 'provided that'? Why is it translated as 'let's hope that' here?
You are right that pourvu que usually means 'provided that' or 'as long as' when it connects a main clause to a subordinate clause. However, when it stands alone at the beginning of an exclamatory sentence like this, it expresses a strong wish, translating perfectly to 'let's hope that' or 'I just hope'.
Why is ait used instead of the regular present tense a?
The word ait is the subjunctive form of avoir for the third person singular. The conjunction pourvu que always requires the subjunctive mood because it introduces a condition, wish, or hypothetical scenario rather than a concrete fact.
What does the phrase ait lieu mean here?
It is the subjunctive form of the fixed expression avoir lieu, which means 'to take place' or 'to happen'. Literally meaning 'to have place', it is a very common idiom when talking about events, competitions, or ceremonies.
Could I just say J'espère que le tirage a lieu aujourd'hui instead?
Yes, that is a very natural alternative. Note the grammar difference: espérer que takes the indicative mood (like the present tense a or future tense aura), while pourvu que always takes the subjunctive (ait). Using pourvu que on its own also adds a slightly more fervent, emotional tone to your wish.
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