Breakdown of Qu'elle se venge ! C'est scandaleux !
elle
she
c'est
it is, that is
que
let / may (third-person command)
se venger
to take revenge
scandaleux
scandalous
Questions & Answers about Qu'elle se venge ! C'est scandaleux !
Why does the first sentence start with Qu'elle instead of just having a normal subject and verb?
This is an example of the indignant independent subjunctive. By starting an exclamation with Que (or Qu' before a vowel) followed by the subjunctive, French expresses strong emotion, shock, or indignation without needing a main clause. It roughly translates to "To think that she would..." or "That she should..."
se venge looks exactly like the present indicative. How can we be sure it is the subjunctive here?
You are right that for regular -er verbs like se venger, the subjunctive and present indicative forms are identical for the il/elle subjects. However, the grammatical structure—an exclamation beginning with an independent Que—always requires the subjunctive mood.
Could Qu'elle se venge ! also be a command meaning "Let her take revenge!"?
Yes, grammatically it can also be a third-person imperative (a command). The difference comes entirely from the context and tone of voice. Here, the follow-up C'est scandaleux ! makes it clear that the speaker is expressing shock about the idea of her taking revenge, rather than giving a command or granting permission.
Why is there a reflexive pronoun here (se venge) instead of just venge?
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