State it or cushion it
When French speakers disagree, they often wrap the judgement in a frame that triggers the subjunctive. The content stays the same, but it no longer comes across as a fact. It becomes an assessment that's open to discussion. At work, in negotiations and when giving criticism, this is the normal tone.
Same criticism, two tones
Direct
Cette réunion est inutile.
This meeting is pointless.
Il a tort.
He's wrong.
Cushioned
Je ne pense pas que cette réunion soit vraiment utile.
I don't think this meeting is really necessary.
Je ne suis pas sûr qu'il ait raison.
I'm not sure he's right.
The scale of caution
The more you hold the statement back, the softer it gets. Adding vraiment, tout à fait or a conditional in the frame takes it one step further.
From direct to very cautious
| Tone | Sentence |
|---|---|
| direct | C'est faux. |
| toned down | Je ne pense pas que ce soit juste. |
| cautious | Je ne suis pas certain que ce soit tout à fait juste. |
| very cautious | Je ne dirais pas que ce soit faux, mais… |
Je ne dirais pas que le budget soit trop serré, mais il faudra faire attention.
I wouldn't say the budget is too tight, but we'll need to be careful.
Il ne me semble pas que ce soit le bon moment.
I don't get the feeling this is the right time.
Fixed formulas
Three expressions soften without a full framing clause. Que je sache means “as far as I know” and usually comes at the end of a negative statement or question. Ce n'est pas que and the more formal Non que politely rule out one possible reason before the real one follows.
Il n'a rien signé, que je sache.
He hasn't signed anything, as far as I know.
Pour autant que je sache, le contrat n'a pas changé.
As far as I'm aware, the contract hasn't changed.
Ce n'est pas que je sois contre, mais c'est un peu cher.
It's not that I'm against it, but it's a bit expensive.
Non qu'il soit incompétent, mais il manque d'expérience.
Not that he's incompetent, but he lacks experience.
Formal, mostly written.
