soient

Soient is the third-person plural present subjunctive form of the French verb être (to be). It is used in subordinate clauses that require the subjunctive, typically after certain verbs and conjunctions that express doubt, possibility, necessity, desire, or emotion. In standard French, the form appears in phrases such as qu'ils soient or qu'elles soient, referring to a plural subject.

Usage notes:

- The subjunctive is commonly triggered after expressions of doubt or necessity, for example: Il faut qu'ils soient prêts. Bien qu'ils soient jeunes, ils savent beaucoup. Il est possible qu'ils ne soient pas disponibles.

- It is also required after conjunctions that introduce purpose, condition, or contrast, such as afin que, pour que, afin de que, or bien que.

- In negative or interrogative constructions, soit often appears with negation: Qu'ils ne soient pas en retard? or Souhaite-t-on qu'ils soient ici demain?

Etymology:

Soient derives from the verb être and represents the present subjunctive form used with third-person plural subjects. Its origin traces to the Latin present subjunctive sint (from esse), carried into Old French and evolved into modern French spelling and usage.

Relation to other forms:

Soient contrasts with the singular subjunctive forms (soit, sois) and with the indicative plural sont or être forms in non-subjunctive contexts. The subjunctive mood, including soient, is a feature of formal and literary registers in French, though it remains common in everyday speech when following standard triggers like il faut que or bien que.

Example sentence:

Qu'ils soient tous ici à l'heure serait idéal.

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