Breakdown of Il est dangereux de surfer sans le moniteur.
être
to be
sans
without
il
it (impersonal subject)
dangereux
dangerous
de
to (introducing an infinitive after a verb)
le moniteur
the instructor
surfer
to surf
Questions & Answers about Il est dangereux de surfer sans le moniteur.
Why do we use de after dangereux instead of à?
Because this is an impersonal expression. When you use il est (it is) to make a general statement followed by an adjective and an infinitive, you connect them with de. If you were describing a specific noun you just mentioned, you would use c'est and à. For example: Cette vague est énorme. C'est dangereux à surfer. (This wave is huge. It is dangerous to surf.)
Could I say C'est dangereux de surfer instead of Il est dangereux?
Does surfer mean surfing the web or surfing on water?
It works perfectly for both! You can say surfer sur internet (to surf the web) or use it for the water sport. In this sentence, the presence of a moniteur (instructor) makes it clear we are talking about the water sport.
What is the difference between a moniteur and a professeur?
A moniteur (or monitrice) is a practical instructor or coach for sports, summer camps, or skills like driving. A professeur is an academic teacher in a school or university. Since surfing is a sport, we need a moniteur.
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