Log inSign up

Quoi que fasse cette super-héroïne courageuse, le public l'adore.

Quoi que fasse cette super-héroïne courageuse, le public l'adore.
Whatever this courageous superheroine does, the public loves her.
From Lesson 413:Concession and hypothesis (quand bien même)·French

Questions & Answers about Quoi que fasse cette super-héroïne courageuse, le public l'adore.

Why is quoi que written as two words here instead of one?
As two separate words, quoi que means "whatever" or "no matter what." If it were written as a single word (quoique), it would mean "although." Both forms require the subjunctive, but they have completely different meanings. Here, it translates to "Whatever this superheroine does."
Why is the verb fasse used here instead of the indicative fait?
The phrase quoi que always triggers the subjunctive mood. This is because it sets up a hypothetical, indefinite, or unknown situation—we don't know exactly what action she is taking, just that whatever it might be, the public's reaction is the same. fasse is the subjunctive form of faire.
Why is the subject (cette super-héroïne) placed after the verb (fasse)?
When using quoi que (as well as similar phrases like qui que or où que), French requires subject-verb inversion if the subject is a noun. Therefore, we say quoi que fasse cette super-héroïne. However, if the subject is a pronoun, you use standard word order: quoi qu'elle fasse (whatever she does).
How does this sentence's grammar relate to quand bien même, which we are currently studying?
Both structures are used to express concession, meaning they show a contrast where a condition doesn't change the outcome. While quoi que + subjunctive means "whatever [she] does," quand bien même + conditional means "even if [she] did..." You could express a very similar idea using your current lesson's grammar: Quand bien même elle ferait le pire, le public l'adorerait (Even if she did the worst, the public would love her).
Why is the verb singular in le public l'adore when "the public" refers to many people?
In French, collective nouns like le public, la foule (the crowd), or l'équipe (the team) are grammatically singular. Because the noun itself is singular, it always takes a third-person singular verb, even though it represents a large group of people.

Learn Quoi que fasse cette super-héroïne courageuse, le public l'adore 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 →