Log inSign up

Espérez-vous qu'elle sache fermer le portail afin de sauver le royaume ?

Espérez-vous qu'elle sache fermer le portail afin de sauver le royaume ?
Do you hope that she knows how to close the portal in order to save the kingdom?
From Lesson 374:Verbs of hope and mood (espérer que)·French

Questions & Answers about Espérez-vous qu'elle sache fermer le portail afin de sauver le royaume ?

Why is sache in the subjunctive here instead of the indicative?
While espérer que normally takes the indicative mood in affirmative sentences, it requires the subjunctive in questions and negative statements. Because Espérez-vous is an inverted question expressing doubt or uncertainty about the outcome, the subjunctive sache must be used.
Why use sache (from savoir) instead of a form of connaître for knowing how to close the portal?
When translating to know how to do something, French always uses savoir directly followed by an infinitive, like fermer. Connaître is strictly used for knowing people, places, or being familiar with nouns, and is never followed by a verb.
Could I use pour instead of afin de in this sentence?
Yes, pour sauver and afin de sauver both mean in order to save. Afin de is slightly more formal and written, which perfectly fits the epic context of saving a kingdom, but pour is completely correct and more common in everyday speech.
Does le portail always mean a magical portal?
Not at all! In everyday French, un portail simply means a large gate, like a driveway gate or the main entrance to a school. However, in sci-fi or fantasy contexts like this one, it is the standard translation for a magical portal.

Learn Espérez-vous qu'elle sache fermer le portail afin de sauver le royaume 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
Start learning French →