Hi James,
Nous avons ouvert les fenêtres de peur qu’il n’y ait une fuite de gaz.
Hope this helps!
Look at these sentences:
Il viendra de peur que tu ne sois vexée.
He's coming for fear that you'd be offended.
Elle a fermé la porte à clé de peur que le chien ne disparaisse.
She locked the door for fear that the dog would disappear.
J'ai arrêté de la voir de peur que ma femme ne découvre tout.
I stopped seeing her for fear that my wife would find out everything.
Il ne voulait pas te le dire de peur que tu n'aies raison.
He didn't want to tell you for fear that you'd be right.
J'ai fait une liste de peur qu'il n'y ait un problème.
I made a list for fear there would be a problem.
To express the more formal expression for fear that / out of fear that + verb in the Conditional (= for fear that you would do this) or may do/might do in French, you will have to use a structure that is slightly more complex than the English structure:
You use de peur que + subject + ne explétif + the verb in Subjonctif présent or Subjonctif passé
Note that in speech, the ne explétif can be dropped.
Il viendra de peur que tu ne sois vexée.
Note that you can also use the expression de crainte que.
Je ne l'ai pas fait de crainte que vous ne soyez déçus.
I didn't do it for fear that you would be disappointed.
See Understanding the 'ne' explétif
as well as other similar expressions using subordinating conjunctions:
Sans que (+ ne explétif) + Le Subjonctif = Without doing
À moins que + ne explétif + Le Subjonctif = Unless you do
Avant que + ne explétif + Le Subjonctif = Before I do
Learn more about these related French grammar topics
Examples and resources
Il viendra de peur que tu ne sois vexée.
He's coming for fear that you'd be offended.
Je ne l'ai pas fait de crainte que vous ne soyez déçus.
I didn't do it for fear that you would be disappointed.
Il ne t'a pas appelé de peur que tu ne lui raccroches au nez.
He didn't call you for fear that you might hang up on him.
Il ne voulait pas te le dire de peur que tu n'aies raison.
He didn't want to tell you for fear that you'd be right.
J'ai fait une liste de peur qu'il n'y ait un problème.
I made a list for fear there would be a problem.
J'ai arrêté de la voir de peur que ma femme ne découvre tout.
I stopped seeing her for fear that my wife would find out everything.
Elle a fermé la porte à clé de peur que le chien ne disparaisse.
She locked the door for fear that the dog would disappear.
Q&A Forum 16 questions, 24 answers
James asked:View original
There are inconsistencies in the format of the answers to that of the tutorial.
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James asked:View original
Why is Il viendra de peur que tu ne sois vexée correct, but my answer incorrect?
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I added an adverb (peut-être )in my test answer which made it incorrect. Please explain.
Asked 2 weeks ago
ChrisCorrect answer
The test isn't scored by a human but by a computer. This allows for only so much flexibility in the answer.
James asked:View original
I added an adverb (peut-être )in my test answer which made it incorrect. Please explain.
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A bit more complicated?
The lesson contains the sentence "To express the more formal expression for fear that / out of fear that + verb in the Conditional (= for fear that you would do this) or may do/might do in French, the structure is a bit more complicated". My question is: a bit more complicated than what? It's confusing.
Asked 3 weeks ago
Hi Rob,
We have tweaked the lesson for clarity, thanks for bringing this to our attention!
You are correct. A slight rewording of the English explanatory sentence would prevent people to go looking for what it might refer to as "less complicated" vs. "more complicated":
Rob asked:View original
A bit more complicated?
The lesson contains the sentence "To express the more formal expression for fear that / out of fear that + verb in the Conditional (= for fear that you would do this) or may do/might do in French, the structure is a bit more complicated". My question is: a bit more complicated than what? It's confusing.
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Help me understand when, "be" in subjunctive, which auxiliary verb to choose-Avoir or Être
I initially wrote my answer with avoir...."n'y ait"....But because I see "be", I stop and question which auxiliary verb to use.I changed my answer to use être.... "n'y soit"....Please help me understand how to determine which auxiliary verb to use.Here was the test question...Nous avons ouvert les fenêtres de peur qu'il ________ une fuite de gaz.We opened the windows out of fear there might be a gas leak.
Asked 6 months ago
ChrisCorrect answer
Hi Michael, don't base your choice of auxiliary verb on the English sentence. Look at the French sentence given.
There is a gas leak. -- Il y a une fuite de gaz.
The French phrase explicitly uses avoir. Hence the missing word is a form of avoir: ait.
Michael asked:View original
Help me understand when, "be" in subjunctive, which auxiliary verb to choose-Avoir or Être
I initially wrote my answer with avoir...."n'y ait"....But because I see "be", I stop and question which auxiliary verb to use.I changed my answer to use être.... "n'y soit"....Please help me understand how to determine which auxiliary verb to use.Here was the test question...Nous avons ouvert les fenêtres de peur qu'il ________ une fuite de gaz.We opened the windows out of fear there might be a gas leak.
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Le Robert versus itself.............
Le Robert on line gives two examples of "de peur que" - one with and one w/o ne expletif. I'll think that in another lesson on your site, you do not recommend using ne with de peur que
4 par peur de ;de peur de ;(VX) Peur de.« Je me presse de rire de tout, de peur d'être obligé d'en pleurer » (Beaumarchais).▫ De, par peur que (et subj.).« Elle me renvoyait par peur que je la fatigue » (Proust). Il la retenait de peurqu'elle ne s'enaille.© 2018 Dictionnaires Le Robert - Le Petit Robert de la langue française
Asked 1 year ago
I pasted in too much and did not make clear apparently what concerns me. It intrigues me that "Elle me renvoyait par peur que je la fatigue" doesn't take the ne expletif, while "Il la retenait de peur qu'elle ne s'enaille." does. I now difference between "par peur que" and "de peur que". Perhaps it's just customary that the one does and the other does not take the ne expletif. I am interested to hear what anyone thinks. It seem perverse (or just French) that one takes the ne and other doesn't. I feel no difference between par peur que and de peur que.........
Max asked:View original
Le Robert versus itself.............
Le Robert on line gives two examples of "de peur que" - one with and one w/o ne expletif. I'll think that in another lesson on your site, you do not recommend using ne with de peur que
4 par peur de ;de peur de ;(VX) Peur de.« Je me presse de rire de tout, de peur d'être obligé d'en pleurer » (Beaumarchais).▫ De, par peur que (et subj.).« Elle me renvoyait par peur que je la fatigue » (Proust). Il la retenait de peurqu'elle ne s'enaille.© 2018 Dictionnaires Le Robert - Le Petit Robert de la langue française
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I'm confused. I understand that 'j'ai peur q'il ne vienne' means I fear he will come' but how do you say 'I fear he will NOT come
Asked 1 year ago
Jay asked:View original
I'm confused. I understand that 'j'ai peur q'il ne vienne' means I fear he will come' but how do you say 'I fear he will NOT come
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English in wrong tense in this example
Il ne t'a pas appelé de peur que tu ne luiraccroches au nez.
He didn't call you for fear that you may hung up on him.
should be might hang up...
Asked 1 year ago
Bonnie asked:View original
English in wrong tense in this example
Il ne t'a pas appelé de peur que tu ne luiraccroches au nez.
He didn't call you for fear that you may hung up on him.
should be might hang up...
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It actually makes more sense in French. Even I struggle with understanding, " FOR fear that. "
Asked 1 year ago
Hi CrystalMaiden,
Indeed the expression 'de peur que' translates into 'for fear that' or 'lest' (as in lest we forget) in English.
It actually means 'to avoid the risk of' and is widely used in French.
e.g. Je ne lui ai pas dit de peur qu'il ne se fâche....
Hope this helps!
CrystalMaiden asked:View original
It actually makes more sense in French. Even I struggle with understanding, " FOR fear that. "
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De peur que versus pour que?
I wonder if yoy could write il viendra de peur que tu ne sois pas vexée as il viendra pour que tu ne sois pas vexée and if so translate it as he will come so that you will not be offended.
I am just trying to work out how the subjunctive works out in english.
Asked 2 years ago
AurélieKwiziq language super star
Bonjour Jennifer !
This sentence "Il viendra de peur que tu ne sois pas vexée." is very weird in French, as it means "He'll come for fear that you won't be vexed." .
"Pour que" here marks a purpose "in order for you not to be vexed / so that you won't/wouldn't be vexed".
Using "de peur que" could work here, but it would bring a nuance of meaning, as it would be saying that he's anxious that you'd be vexed, rather than he's acting to avoid your vexation.
The correct sentence with "de peur que" would be :
"Il viendra de peur que tu *ne* sois vexée."
(Here it's the "ne explétif", see:
Understanding the 'ne' explétif )
I hope that's helpful!
À bientôt !
Jennifer asked:View original
De peur que versus pour que?
I wonder if yoy could write il viendra de peur que tu ne sois pas vexée as il viendra pour que tu ne sois pas vexée and if so translate it as he will come so that you will not be offended.
I am just trying to work out how the subjunctive works out in english.
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not really a question but a request
could you include an impersonal in your examples such as the gas leak one becaue the il n'y ait threw me , not having given it due consideration. many thanks
Asked 2 years ago
AurélieKwiziq language super star
Bonjour Sue !
In this case, "il n'y ait" is simply "il y a" (=there is/are) + the "ne explétif", but I've now added a similar example to the lesson :)
Bonne journée !
Bonjour Aurélie,
I just came upon the same situation addressed above:
J'ai fait une liste de peur qu'il n'y ait un problème. ---> I made a list for fear there would be a problem.
However, the pronom «y» is not addressed in the lesson which I found a bit confusing as I was not anticipating «il y a» as being a part of the phrase syntax.
Perhaps that is on me for not reading it more carefully.
Merci en avance.
Sue asked:View original
not really a question but a request
could you include an impersonal in your examples such as the gas leak one becaue the il n'y ait threw me , not having given it due consideration. many thanks
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In the sentencenous avons ouvert les fenêtres de peur qu'il n'y ait un fuite de gas.
In the sentence, which may not be exactly correct, but is more or les as i remeber it, the translatio is ....for frar that there would be a gas leak. Can this be translated as might be or even as there is a gas leak. Like many english people i am a bit hazy about the subjunctive in my own language, hence the question.
Asked 2 years ago
AurélieKwiziq language super star
Bonjour Jennifer !
Yes, you are correct, in this case, the alternatives "there is/may be/might be" as more accurate than "there would be" as the latter makes it sound like the gas leak would occur if we opened the window!
Thanks to you, this sentence has now been improved :)
Merci et à bientôt !
Jennifer asked:View original
In the sentencenous avons ouvert les fenêtres de peur qu'il n'y ait un fuite de gas.
In the sentence, which may not be exactly correct, but is more or les as i remeber it, the translatio is ....for frar that there would be a gas leak. Can this be translated as might be or even as there is a gas leak. Like many english people i am a bit hazy about the subjunctive in my own language, hence the question.
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Past participles as adjectives
In the example soyez decus, the past participle operates as an adjective . Are there any restrictions on this use? Is it possible to use any past participle that fits the bill?
Asked 2 years ago
AurélieKwiziq language super star
Bonjour Jennifer !
Yes indeed, just like in English, French past participles can be used as adjectives:
"Les enfants sont fatiguÉS." -> The children are tirED.
However, remember that as any French adjective, they need to agree in gender and number with the thing they refer to :)
I hope that's helpful!
Jennifer asked:View original
Past participles as adjectives
In the example soyez decus, the past participle operates as an adjective . Are there any restrictions on this use? Is it possible to use any past participle that fits the bill?
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is de peur que is similar de crainte que?
According to my understanding, they are similar, so we can use them as same in a sentence? ex : je me relave le verre de peur qu'il ne soit pas propre. ou de crainte qu'il ne soit pas propre. are they correct?
Asked 3 years ago
AurélieKwiziq language super star
Bonjour Ly Fen !
Yes indeed, "de peur que" means exactly the same as "de crainte que". Both are actually accepted as correct alternate answers in our quizzes, as they are synonyms.
Thanks for your question!
A bientôt !
Well, I got marked incorrect when I used de crainte que grammatically correctly. Said had to use de peur que
Ly fen asked:View original
is de peur que is similar de crainte que?
According to my understanding, they are similar, so we can use them as same in a sentence? ex : je me relave le verre de peur qu'il ne soit pas propre. ou de crainte qu'il ne soit pas propre. are they correct?
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AurélieKwiziq language super star
Bonjour Lola,
In this case, when you want to express "(not) doing something for fear that...", I guess a simpler way to say it would be to turn your sentence differently and say "I (don't) do this because I'm scared of/that", which in French would be:
Je (ne) fais (pas) ça parce que j'ai peur de (quelque chose) / que (quelque chose ...)
I hope that's helpful!
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