Learn French: Il va éveiller les soupçons, pour peu qu'il soit bavard. - He is going to arouse suspicion, provided that he is talkative.

Il va éveiller les soupçons, pour peu qu'il soit bavard.

He is going to arouse suspicion, provided that he is talkative.

Breakdown of Il va éveiller les soupçons, pour peu qu'il soit bavard.

Questions & Answers about Il va éveiller les soupçons, pour peu qu'il soit bavard.

What does pour peu que add to the meaning here compared to just saying si (if)?

While si is a neutral "if", pour peu que expresses a minimal condition. It emphasizes that it takes very little for the consequence to happen. In this sentence, it means "if he is even a little bit talkative" or "all it takes is for him to be talkative" to arouse suspicion.

Why is soit used instead of est?

The conjunction pour peu que always requires the subjunctive mood because it introduces a hypothetical condition. Therefore, we must use soit (the subjunctive form of être) instead of the present indicative est.

Why is "suspicion" translated as the plural les soupçons?

In French, the set phrase for "to arouse suspicion" is éveiller les soupçons, usually in the plural. You will see the singular un soupçon when referring to a specific suspicion (like a suspicion of theft) or to mean a tiny amount or dash of something, like a hint of an ingredient in a recipe.

Does éveiller literally mean "to arouse"?

Literally, éveiller means "to awaken" or "to wake someone up". In figurative contexts like this one, it translates as "to arouse", "to spark", or "to stimulate" (such as awakening curiosity or arousing suspicion).