Breakdown of Le traiteur va être prêt, pour peu qu'on lui donne du temps.
être
to be
on
one / we (informal)
prêt
ready
lui
him / to him / to her (indirect object)
Questions & Answers about Le traiteur va être prêt, pour peu qu'on lui donne du temps.
How exactly does pour peu que translate here, and why does it trigger the subjunctive?
Pour peu que expresses a minimal condition, meaning "provided that," "if only," or "as long as [even a little bit]." It always requires the subjunctive mood because it introduces a hypothetical or desired condition rather than an established fact.
Wait, donne looks like the normal present tense. Is it actually in the subjunctive here?
Yes! For regular ER verbs like donner, the present subjunctive forms for je, tu, il/elle/on, and ils/elles are identical to their present indicative forms. Even though it looks the same, grammatically it is the subjunctive triggered by pour peu que.
Could I use à condition que instead of pour peu que in this sentence?
Yes, à condition que also means "provided that" and takes the subjunctive. However, pour peu que adds a specific nuance of a minimal condition, emphasizing that it only takes a little bit of time for the caterer to be ready.
Why do we use lui here instead of le?
Lui is an indirect object pronoun meaning "to him" (or "to her"). We use it here because the underlying verb phrase is donner quelque chose à quelqu'un (to give something to someone). We are giving time to the caterer, so the indirect object pronoun is required.