Breakdown of Sauf si tu changes d'avis, c'est décidé.
être
to be
changer
to change
décidé
determined
l'avis
the opinion (m)
sauf si
unless (+ indicative)
Questions & Answers about Sauf si tu changes d'avis, c'est décidé.
The current lesson is about à moins que, which requires the subjunctive. Why does this sentence use sauf si with the indicative (changes)?
Both à moins que and sauf si can be translated as "unless", but they follow different rules. À moins que requires the subjunctive. Sauf si literally translates to "except if" and behaves just like a regular si clause, meaning it takes the indicative. French speakers frequently use sauf si in everyday speech precisely as a shortcut to avoid using the more complex subjunctive!
Why is it changer d'avis instead of changer ton avis to mean "change your mind"?
The standard fixed expression for "to change one's mind" in French is changer d'avis. It uses the preposition de directly followed by the noun, with no article or possessive adjective. Trying to translate the English literally with changer ton avis sounds very unnatural to a French ear.
Why do we use c'est décidé instead of il est décidé to say "it is decided"?
We use the indefinite pronoun ce (contracted to c') because "it" points back to a general situation, idea, or plan that was just discussed. The impersonal il est décidé is much more formal and is typically only used when introducing a specific following clause, such as Il est décidé que nous partirons demain (It is decided that we will leave tomorrow).
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