Question 1

Why does this sentence use the indicative vient instead of the subjunctive?

Accepted Answer

This is the core difference between douter que and se douter que. The standard verb douter means "to doubt," which introduces uncertainty and requires the subjunctive. However, the reflexive se douter means "to suspect" or "to have a hunch." Because you are expressing that something is likely true, it takes the indicative.

Question 2

How does adding se change the meaning of douter here?

Accepted Answer

It completely flips the meaning! While douter means you don't believe something, se douter means you do believe it (or have a strong feeling about it). Because it translates to "to suspect" or "to imagine," it focuses on probability rather than doubt.

Question 3

If I made this sentence negative to say "We don't suspect that", would it still use the indicative?

Accepted Answer

No, it would switch to the subjunctive! If you say On ne se doute pas que, you are expressing ignorance or a lack of suspicion. That introduces enough uncertainty to trigger the subjunctive, making it On ne se doute pas que le faussaire vienne de Paris.

Question 4

Why is the translation "We suspect" when the French sentence uses On instead of Nous?

Accepted Answer

In everyday spoken French, on is the standard way to say "we." You could absolutely say Nous nous doutons que, but it would sound noticeably more formal.

On se doute que le faussaire vient de Paris.

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