Common mistakes
Le fait de or le fait que? Four French patterns to keep apart
Choose le fait de + infinitive or le fait que + a full clause. Fix four common mix-ups, keep earlier actions clear and check which verb agrees with fait.
- B2
- 4 corrections
- Examples and fixes
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In short
Use le fait de + infinitive to name an action: le fait de relire. Use le fait que + subject and conjugated verb to name a whole situation: le fait que Nora ait relu. The clause makes its actor explicit.
Yellow the idea to rememberBlue French to learn
Le fait de relire la consigne a évité une erreur.Rereading the instruction prevented a mistake.
Focus: The action of rereading
le fait de + infinitive
Relire la consigne a évité une erreur.
Rereading the instruction prevented a mistake.
Le fait que Nora ait relu la consigne a rassuré Samir.The fact that Nora reread the instruction reassured Samir.
Focus: A stated person and a completed action
le fait que + subject + finite verb
Nora a relu la consigne. Cela a rassuré Samir.
Nora reread the instruction. That reassured Samir.
- le fait de + infinitivede + que + a subjectan action expressed by an infinitive
Le fait de répondre rapidement facilite les échanges.Replying quickly makes communication easier.
Keep de répondre together. For a named subject, switch to le fait que Nora réponde rapidement.
- le fait que + subject + verbque + a bare infinitivea complete situation with its own subject
Le fait que Nora soit disponible nous aide.The fact that Nora is available helps us.
Use a full clause after que: Nora soit disponible.
- le fait d’avoir réponduthe same time viewpoint as de répondrehaving replied: the action is presented as completed
Le fait d’avoir répondu avant lundi nous a permis de participer.Having replied before Monday allowed us to take part.
Use d’avoir + past participle to put completion in the foreground.
- le fait…poseplural posent because a nearby noun is pluralsingular fait controls the main verb
Le fait que les réponses soient incomplètes pose un problème.The fact that the answers are incomplete poses a problem.
Inside the clause, les réponses controls soient. Outside it, singular le fait controls pose.
Does le fait que take the subjunctive?
La séance est annulée. Le fait qu’elle soit annulée change nos plans.
The session is cancelled. The fact that it is cancelled changes our plans.
The cancellation is established in the first sentence. The subjunctive soit in the second packages it as the point being discussed.
The subjunctive is common after le fait que, including for a situation treated as real. The indicative also occurs when the writer foregrounds an assertion. Keep that mood question separate from the structural choice: de needs an infinitive; que introduces a subject and finite verb.
- Samir
Le fait d’avoir répondu si vite a simplifié les choses.
Having replied so quickly made things easier.
- Nora
Qui a répondu ?
Who replied?
- Samir
Lina. Le fait que Lina ait répondu si vite nous a permis de confirmer la date.
Lina. The fact that Lina replied so quickly allowed us to confirm the date.
The infinitive version leaves the person to context. Samir’s second version names Lina, and ait répondu keeps the completed action visible. In a short sentence, a bare infinitive can also work well: Répondre rapidement facilite les échanges. Add le fait de when you want to discuss the action as a particular point.