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Je téléphone pour décliner l'invitation, non que je sois fâché.

Je téléphone pour décliner l'invitation, non que je sois fâché.
I am calling to decline the invitation, not that I am angry.
From Lesson 445:Refuting a cause (ce n'est pas que)·French

Questions & Answers about Je téléphone pour décliner l'invitation, non que je sois fâché.

Why is the subjunctive verb sois used in this sentence?
The phrase non que (not that) is used to reject a potential reason or cause. Because you are stating that this reason is not true, it is treated as a hypothetical idea rather than a fact, which triggers the subjunctive mood (sois instead of the indicative suis).
Could I use ce n'est pas que instead of non que here?
Yes, absolutely! Ce n'est pas que je sois fâché means exactly the same thing. Non que is simply a slightly more elegant and concise way to express it, but both structures require the subjunctive.
Why is it pour décliner rather than translating 'to decline' another way?
In French, when you want to express purpose (meaning "in order to"), you use the preposition pour followed immediately by the infinitive form of the verb (décliner).
How would this sentence change if the speaker were a woman?
The adjective fâché (angry) must agree in gender with the subject je. If a woman is speaking, an extra e is added to the end, making it non que je sois fâchée. This doesn't change the pronunciation, but it is required in written French.

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