Hopes When Nothing Is Certain
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2026년 11월 4일
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듣고 복습하기
Voca 카드를 2개 이상 추가하면 듣고 복습하기와 오디오 연습을 사용할 수 있어요。
Plans with friends do not always go smoothly. This set covers natural ways to express anticipation, hope, realism and disappointment when outcomes are uncertain.
- Subjunctive chunks: Ready-to-use clauses with pourvu que, avoir hâte que and c'est dommage que that you can use as whole patterns.
- Figurative idioms: Everyday expressions like croiser les doigts, toucher du bois and tomber à l'eau.
- Managing expectations: Conversational phrases for staying realistic or postponing a cancelled plan.
Voca 카드
1.
Vivement les vacances !
I can't wait for vacation!, Bring on vacation!
Je n'en peux plus de ce rythme au travail, vivement les vacances !
I can't take this pace at work anymore—I can't wait for vacation!
'Vivement' works without a verb before a noun, or before 'que' and the subjunctive, to say you cannot wait for something.
2.
J'ai hâte qu'on y soit.
I can't wait to get there., I can't wait until we're there.
Si on trouve enfin un train pour Marseille, j'ai hâte qu'on y soit.
If we finally find a train to Marseille, I can't wait until we're there.
After 'avoir hâte que', the verb is always in the subjunctive ('soit' from 'être').
3.
Ce serait top si ça marchait.
It would be awesome if it worked out., It'd be great if that panned out.
On a demandé à louer la maison au bord du lac, ce serait top si ça marchait.
We put in a request to rent the lake house—it'd be awesome if it worked out.
In everyday spoken French, 'top' is a very common adjective meaning great or ideal.
4.
croiser les doigts
to cross one's fingers, to keep one's fingers crossed
Je croise les doigts pour que ton patron accepte ta demande de congés.
I'm keeping my fingers crossed that your boss approves your time off.
When followed by a clause, 'croiser les doigts' takes 'pour que' and the subjunctive.
5.
toucher du bois
to knock on wood
Pour l'instant, notre train de vendredi n'est pas supprimé, touchons du bois !
So far, our Friday train hasn't been canceled—knock on wood!
Literally 'to touch wood', used to hope good luck continues and nothing jinxes a plan.
6.
Pourvu que tout se passe bien !
Let's hope everything goes well!, Hopefully everything goes smoothly!
Tu passes ton entretien demain matin ? Pourvu que tout se passe bien !
Your interview is tomorrow morning? Let's hope everything goes well!
'Pourvu que' at the start of a sentence means 'let's hope that' and always requires the subjunctive.
7.
Pourvu qu'il fasse beau !
Let's hope the weather is nice!, Hopefully it's nice out!
On a prévu de camper tout le week-end, alors pourvu qu'il fasse beau !
We're planning on camping all weekend, so let's hope the weather is nice!
'Fasse' is the subjunctive of 'faire', used here in the weather expression 'il fait beau'.
8.
Espérons que ça tienne.
Let's hope it holds up., Hopefully it holds together.
Tu as réussi à réparer ta voiture pour le trajet ? Espérons que ça tienne.
Did you manage to fix your car for the trip? Let's hope it holds up.
While 'espérer que' normally takes the indicative, the subjunctive ('tienne') is common after the imperative 'espérons que'.
9.
avoir bon espoir
to have high hopes, to be hopeful
Le propriétaire a beaucoup aimé notre dossier, alors j'ai bon espoir.
The landlord really liked our application, so I have high hopes.
Singular 'espoir' without an article in 'avoir bon espoir' means feeling confident that things will work out.
10.
garder espoir
to stay hopeful, to keep up hope
Il reste très peu de places pour le festival, mais tu dois garder espoir.
There are very few tickets left for the festival, but you have to stay hopeful.
11.
ne pas se faire d'illusions
to have no illusions, not to get one's hopes up
Avec la grève annoncée jeudi, je ne me fais pas d'illusions sur notre départ.
With the strike announced for Thursday, I'm not getting my hopes up about our departure.
Used to say you are staying realistic and not getting your hopes up too high.
12.
prendre ses désirs pour des réalités
to indulge in wishful thinking, to kid oneself
Tu crois vraiment trouver un billet pas cher à la dernière minute ? Ne prends pas tes désirs pour de
You really think you'll find a cheap ticket at the last minute? That's just wishful thinking.
A figurative idiom equivalent to engaging in wishful thinking.
13.
Tant qu'il y a de la vie, il y a de l'espoir.
While there's life, there's hope.
Ils n'ont pas encore vendu les derniers billets ; tant qu'il y a de la vie, il y a de l'espoir !
They haven't sold the last tickets yet—while there's life, there's hope!
A well-known proverb often used lightly with friends when a small chance remains.
14.
J'aimerais que ça se passe autrement.
I wish things were different., I wish it were going differently.
Je dois rester travailler samedi matin ; crois-moi, j'aimerais que ça se passe autrement.
I have to stay and work Saturday morning—believe me, I wish things were different.
The conditional 'j'aimerais que' softens the wish and is followed by the subjunctive.
15.
Si seulement tu pouvais être là !
If only you could be there!, If only you could make it!
Tout le groupe sera réuni ce week-end, si seulement tu pouvais être là !
The whole group is getting together this weekend—if only you could be there!
'Si seulement' with the imperfect tense expresses a strong wish about the present or near future.
16.
tomber à l'eau
to fall through
Si Léo ne trouve personne pour le remplacer demain, notre projet va tomber à l'eau.
If Leo doesn't find anyone to cover for him tomorrow, our plans are going to fall through.
Literally 'to fall into the water', used informally when plans fail or get cancelled.
17.
C'est dommage que tu ne puisses pas venir.
It's a shame you can't come., Too bad you can't make it.
J'ai réservé la table pour six heures, c'est dommage que tu ne puisses pas venir.
I booked the table for six o'clock—it's a shame you can't make it.
'C'est dommage que' takes the subjunctive ('puisses' from 'pouvoir') to express disappointment about a fact.
18.
Je suis déçu que ça ne se fasse pas.
I'm disappointed it's not happening., I'm bummed it's not working out.
On parlait de ce voyage depuis des mois, je suis déçu que ça ne se fasse pas.
We'd been talking about this trip for months, so I'm disappointed it's not happening.
'Se faire' here means 'to happen' or 'to take place', in the subjunctive ('se fasse') after an expression of emotion.
19.
J'aurais tellement aimé que ça marche.
I really wish it had worked out., I would have loved for it to work out.
On a tout essayé pour avoir cet appartement, j'aurais tellement aimé que ça marche.
We tried everything to get that apartment—I really wish it had worked out.
The past conditional 'j'aurais aimé' expresses disappointment over something that did not work out.
20.
Ce n'est que partie remise.
We'll take a rain check., We'll do it another time., It's only postponed.
On doit annuler notre soirée de demain, mais promis, ce n'est que partie remise !
We have to cancel our night out tomorrow, but I promise we'll do it another time!
A fixed expression from games meaning a cancelled plan is only postponed until next time.