Different grammar for "après que" and "avant que"?
Laura
Kwiziq language super star
22/05/17
Bonjour William,
They seem similar, but they're not: "after you do something" is a factual statement, because it has already happened. In contrast, "before you do something" is a hypothesis: it may or may not happen. Therefore French requires the indicative with the factual après que, but the subjunctive with the hypothetical avant que.
Your answer
Don't have an account yet? Join today
Think you've got all the answers?
Test your French to the CEFR standard
find your French level »3914questions8058answers144,953users
William
Kwiziq community member
21 May 2017
1 reply
Different grammar for "après que" and "avant que"?
Après que uses the indicative while the avant que uses the "ne" plus subjunctive. They appear to express similar thought, after and before. Perhaps there is a difference sense in French. Thoughts.
This question relates to:
French lesson "Avant que + ne explétif + Le Subjonctif = Before I do"