Is this correct?

Question

For this example:Je ne comprends pas le temps que ça lui prend de se préparer !I don't understand the time she takes to get ready!Isn't the subjunctive of prendre supposed to be prenne?

Accepted Answer

Bonjour Tom,
Maarten is correct (and his explanation is very good!) that the expression "le temps que ça prend de..." ( = the time it takes to ...) refers to a fact and not a doubt / assumption/ uncertainty that would trigger the use of Le Subjonctif.
Je ne comprends pas le temps que ça te prend de te brosser les dents = I don't understand the time it takes you to brush you teeth
-> fact
J'aurai fini mes devoirs le temps que tu prennes ta douche = I will have finished my homework by the time you take a shower
-> assumption / uncertainty
 
I hope this is helpful.
Bonne journée !

Answer

Tom, I note this is covered directly in the section in the lesson explaining that ‘le temps que ça prend…’ uses the indicative rather than the subjunctive so I’m assuming something else is triggering your thoughts about using the subjunctive here ?

Regardless of the reasoning, when using ‘le temps que..’ to refer to one event by/within the time period of another, the subjunctive is used.

However the use of ‘le temps que ça prend’ is different, in that it is discussing something that is definite as a stand-alone fact - the time it takes - and there is no doubt, assumption, suggestion or hyperbolic comparison here that something else could happen “by/within” the same time period.

This is discussed in the section ‘Attention’, although perhaps not adequately explained.

When expressing for example ‘the time (that) it takes ..’ or what (it is that) the weather is like …’, the indicative is used

I wonder if like me your first thought was that ‘je ne comprends pas …’ might trigger the subjunctive here ?

However this is not ‘ je ne comprends pas que qqc….’ that would require the subjunctive in a following related clause, but ‘je ne comprends pas qqc que .. ‘ and this latter structure does not bring in the subjunctive.