Question 1

Why do we use the subjunctive soit after douter que?

Accepted Answer

The verb douter expresses uncertainty or doubt, which triggers the subjunctive mood for the following verb. We use soit (the subjunctive of être) because the authenticity of the provenance is in question, not a stated fact.

Question 2

How would the grammar and meaning change if we used se douter que instead of douter que?

Accepted Answer

It would change completely! While douter que means "to doubt that" and takes the subjunctive, the reflexive se douter que means "to suspect that" or "to have a hunch that". Because it expresses a strong belief rather than doubt, it takes the indicative. The sentence would become Ils se doutent que la provenance est authentique (They suspect that the provenance is authentic).

Question 3

Doesn't "to ask for" usually involve a preposition? Why is it just demandent une expertise?

Accepted Answer

In French, the verb demander inherently means "to ask for" or "to request" when followed directly by a noun. Adding a preposition like pour (e.g., demander pour une expertise) is a very common mistake English speakers make due to direct translation.

Question 4

Is une expertise a false friend here?

Accepted Answer

Yes, it is a partial false friend. While the English word "expertise" refers to a person's skill or knowledge, the French noun une expertise usually refers to an expert assessment, appraisal, or evaluation (like examining a piece of art or assessing car damage). If you want to talk about someone's skill level, you would typically use le savoir-faire or les compétences.

Ils doutent que la provenance soit authentique, alors ils demandent une expertise.

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