Breakdown of Il est impossible de surfer cette vague gigantesque !
être
to be
ce
this (before a noun)
il
it (impersonal subject)
la vague
the wave
gigantesque
gigantic
de
to (introducing an infinitive after a verb)
surfer
to surf
impossible
impossible
Questions & Answers about Il est impossible de surfer cette vague gigantesque !
Why do we use de after impossible here instead of à?
Because this sentence uses an impersonal structure: Il est + adjective + infinitive (meaning "It is [adjective] to do [something]"). In this structure, the adjective is always followed by de. If you were describing a specific noun that is impossible to act upon, you would use à, as in Cette vague est impossible à surfer (This wave is impossible to surf).
Could I say C'est impossible de surfer instead of Il est impossible?
Why does gigantesque come after the noun? Doesn't it describe size?
While short, common adjectives describing size (like grand, petit, or gros) usually go before the noun, longer and more extreme size adjectives like gigantesque or énorme almost always go after the noun, just like standard descriptive adjectives.
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