Breakdown of Si glacial que soit le vent, nous devons éviter l'avalanche.
être
to be
nous
we / us (object pronoun)
devoir
to have to / must
que
that (introducing a clause)
Questions & Answers about Si glacial que soit le vent, nous devons éviter l'avalanche.
Why is "soit" in the subjunctive here?
The structure si + [adjective] + que is used to express concession, meaning "however [adjective] something may be." This specific structure always triggers the subjunctive. Here, it gives us soit, the subjunctive form of être.
Why is the word order soit le vent instead of le vent soit?
In this concession structure, it is highly idiomatic to invert the verb and the subject when the subject is a noun (like le vent). While si glacial que le vent soit is technically understandable, the inverted soit le vent is much more natural and expected in French. Note that if the subject were a pronoun, you would keep the normal order: si glacial qu'il soit.
Does si mean "if" in this sentence?
Not in this context. While si usually means "if" or "so," when it is immediately followed by an adjective and then que + subjunctive, it translates to "however" or "no matter how." Therefore, si glacial que means "however freezing."
Does the adjective glacial still need to agree with the noun it describes?