📖LearnModule 8 · Lesson 12 of 30Independent User · CEFR B2, first halfUnit 3 · Le subjonctif étendu
Doubt takes it too
Module 8 of the free French course (CEFR B2, first half), lesson 12 of 30: Certainty takes the indicative; doubt takes the subjunctive. On this page: 8 words with their genders and respellings, the rule, a watch-out line, the conjugation table and the audio — the study notes behind the workbook's lesson 12.
The words
French
English
Say it
je doute que
I doubt that
zhuh DOOT kuh
il est possible que
it is possible that
eel eh poh-SEEBL kuh
il se peut que
it may be that
eel suh PUH kuh
je suis sûr que
I am sure that
zhuh swee SEWR kuh
il est probable que
it is likely that
eel eh proh-BAHBL kuh
le doute
the doubt
luh DOOT
la certitude
the certainty
lah sehr-tee-TEWD
la possibilité
the possibility
lah poh-see-bee-lee-TAY
Respellings follow the course’s say-it key; the stressed syllable is in capitals. Print this lesson’s flashcards (PDF) — the words on the front, the English and respelling on the back.
Hear the words
Each word is read twice — say it back in the gap. Computer-generated voice; credits on the course page.
La règle · The rule
Certainty takes the indicative; doubt takes the subjunctive. Je suis sûr qu'il vient. Je doute qu'il vienne. That single pair is the whole rule, and it is worth writing out twice.
Et aussi · And also
Possibility counts as doubt: il est possible que, il se peut que, il est peu probable que. But il est probable que — likely enough to bet on — goes back to the indicative. French draws the line at probable.
Attention · Watch out
je suis sûr que takes the indicative; je doute que takes the subjunctive. And il est probable que goes back to the indicative — probable is certain enough to bet on.
croire, subjonctif — the table
je croie · tu croies · il/elle croie · nous croyions · vous croyiez · ils/elles croient
Do it now — on paper
Say all 8 words aloud twice from the respelling, then once from the French spelling alone — begin with je doute que.
Copy every word with its accents on paper; then cover the English column and write each meaning back from the French.
Write out croire, subjonctif in full from memory, every person, and check each form against the table above.
This free course is the reading half. The writing half — write-in lessons, daily practice pages with built-in review, self-checks and a full answer key — is the companion workbook series, The French Ladder: one workbook per module, fifteen in all, released band by band with the Basic band (Modules 1–5) first.
Keep these words
Turn this lesson’s words into flashcards, then space your reviews — the two habits the research behind our study guides backs hardest.