Breakdown of Le moniteur est ravi de surfer avec nous.
être
to be
nous
we / us (object pronoun)
avec
with
de
to (introducing an infinitive after a verb)
Questions & Answers about Le moniteur est ravi de surfer avec nous.
Why do we use de before surfer instead of à?
The adjective ravi (thrilled or delighted) requires the preposition de when it is followed by an infinitive. Adjectives that express feelings or emotions, such as content (happy), triste (sad), or fier (proud), almost always take de before a verb.
Does moniteur mean the same thing as professeur?
Not exactly. A professeur is typically an academic teacher, like in a school or university. A moniteur (or monitrice) is an instructor or coach for practical, recreational, or sports activities, like surfing, skiing, or even driving.
How would this sentence change if the instructor were female?
Is surfer just the English word turned into a French verb?