Learn French: Pour peu que tu mettes la guirlande, la moitié du salon sera prête. - Provided that you put up the garland, half of the living room will be ready.

Pour peu que tu mettes la guirlande, la moitié du salon sera prête.

Provided that you put up the garland, half of the living room will be ready.

Breakdown of Pour peu que tu mettes la guirlande, la moitié du salon sera prête.

être

to be

you (informal singular)

Questions & Answers about Pour peu que tu mettes la guirlande, la moitié du salon sera prête.

What exactly does pour peu que mean in this context?

It translates to "provided that" or "as long as," but it carries a specific nuance. It implies a minimal condition, meaning that doing just this one small thing (putting up the garland) is all it takes for half the living room to be ready.

Why is the verb mettes in the subjunctive mood here?

The conjunction pour peu que always triggers the subjunctive. Because it introduces a condition that is sufficient but not yet guaranteed to happen, French requires the subjunctive mettes rather than the present indicative mets.

Why is the adjective prête feminine when salon is a masculine word?

The adjective prête must agree with the main subject of its clause, which is the feminine noun la moitié (the half). Even though it describes a part of the masculine le salon, the grammatical subject dictating the agreement is la moitié.

Could I just use si (if) to say the same thing?

You could, but the grammar and nuance would change. With si, you must use the present indicative (Si tu mets...). Using pour peu que emphasizes how little effort is required to achieve the result, making the condition feel much smaller than a standard si statement.